SPECIES unknown
by xPaige Turnerx
Summary: "Trust me, dating a vampire and having a wolf for a brother are the LEAST complicated aspects of my life. Every now and then my nose re-enacts the elevator scene from The Shining, and I randomly wake up in the woods. Normal was shot to Hell a long time ago."
1. Chapter 1

**CULLEN FAMILY** : Esme and Carlisle. Rosalie and Emmett. Jasper and Victoria. Edward. Alice. Wensley and Jessica.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Twilight.

 **Rated:** T.

 **Author:** xPaige Turnerx

 **Summary:** COMPLETED AND WAITING TO POST. "Trust me, dating a vampire and having a wolf for a brother are the LEAST complicated aspects of my life. Every now and then my nose reenacts the elevator scene from The Shining, and I randomly wake up in the woods. Normal was shot to Hell a long time ago."

" _At the center of your being_

 _you have the answer;_

 _you know who you are_

 _you know what you want."_

 _-Lao Tzu_

The seatbelt light on the plane flashed with a little _**bing**_ noise, and she knew they were close to landing. She'd known that for a while, however, as she sat in the window seat gazing out at the open air around them for most of the flight. It was a path she had taken many, _many_ times over the years, whenever she went to visit her father. She could recognize landmarks here and there the closer and lower they got.

This time was different from all the others. Besides the fact that this was her first time back in almost eight years, she would be staying indefinitely for the time being. Usually it was just the summer for a visit before she was shipped back to Phoenix with her mother. She hadn't actually _lived_ with Charlie since...well, she was much too young to remember that far back.

But she couldn't stay with Renee anymore, it was time to let go and let her live her life. Ironic, considering that's how most mothers felt about their daughters, not the other way around.

Bella clipped her seatbelt together and put up the tray in front of her, thinking back to what started this all in the first place.

 _Turning from the television screen on the other side of the room, Bella leaned over the arm of the couch to try and see down the hall and into the kitchen. She could hear Phil's heavy footsteps echoing on the tiled floor as he paced back and forth. Back and forth. Back... and forth. He seemed more twitchy than usual and Bella briefly wondered what was up and if there was trouble in paradise for him and her mother._

 _With a sigh, Bella pushed herself up from the couch. If there was trouble, she was obligated to try and fix it. Or help, at the very least. Those two lovebirds were meant for each other, they loved each other, and she wasn't about to let anything wreck that. She wanted her mom to be happy because Renee sure as hell wanted Bella to be happy. She did everything she could think of to help Bella in whatever she needed._

 _Bella leant against the fridge, crossing her arms over her chest. Her odd eyes flickered over Phil's form silently, so silent that only when he turned around and saw her did he know she was there. The man jumped, holding his hand to his chest. "Bella! Jeez, you scared me. How long have you been there?" he asked wearily._

" _Only a moment," Bella answered softly, her tone concerned. "Are you okay?"_

 _He nodded fiercely, forcing a smile on his face. "Yes, of course. I'm more than okay. I'm great. I've never been better, actually." He shifted his weight from foot to foot nervously, somehow feeling like_ he _was the teenager under their parent's scrutiny. It happened a lot with Bella, he never could figure out why. "And, uh, a lot of that has to do with your mother. You know how much I love her, right?"_

" _Immeasurably," Bella said with her own nod. He looked confused for a moment before seeming to agree with her. Bella's mouth curved up into a small smile._

 _Phil scratched the back of his neck. "Yeah. I couldn't measure it if I tried. You got a way with words sometimes, Bella. But yeah. So..." he coughed awkwardly and Bella was reminded of her father. Renee sure had a type. "So, I wanna ask her to marry me. W-with your permission. You're the single most important thing in Renee's life, and if it was ever not okay with you, I-"_

" _Phil," Bella called, watching as the man got more and more worked up about the whole thing. Married? Again? That was... big. But if anyone could try and tame the firebird Renee was, it was Phil. "That's... that's great news. Of course you have my permission. I wish you all the luck in the world, you two are great together."_

After that, Phil had been decidedly less twitchy. He raced out to buy a ring, asked Bella for proposal ideas, and popped the question by the end of the week. Bella sat them both down, asked them their plans for the future, and when Phil mentioned a house and maybe some kids, Bella saw Renee's eyes light up in a way she hadn't seen in... years. Since she met him.

So she did what all reasonable and loving daughters would do, and offered to move out. Or rather, in with her dad instead. Those two were about to start a life together, and the last thing they needed was a teenager running around the house and cramping their style.

That and Bella knew if she stuck around, she would be saddled with diaper duty eventually.

So after a lot of tears, on Renee's part mostly, and some grateful words from Phil, Bella spent the next week packing up what she couldn't live without, and called her dad.

To be honest, Bella wasn't quite sure how he felt about it. Charlie was a lot like Bella, or rather Bella was a lot like her father, and both of them weren't the best at expressing themselves or their emotions. He said it was a great idea and he couldn't wait to have her back in Forks, but sometimes Bella wasn't sure. Maybe it was just nerves. But who wanted a teenage kid dropped on their doorstep all of a sudden like that?

Bella spotted her duffle bag and suitcase in luggage claim, swinging the bag's strap across her chest and grabbing the suitcase. Charlie said he'd be waiting just outside, and when Bella finally spotted him in the crowd, she grinned.

Charlie Swan hadn't changed a bit over the years, except for the _tiny_ bit of greying in his hair on his temples. Everything else was the same, right down to the moustache and laugh lines around his eyes. He even smelled the same, that unique mixture of tobacco and mint. Something Renee used to claim she couldn't stand, but Bella had loved since... forever.

Probably because tobacco and mint meant dad, but still.

Bella let out the sigh she didn't know she'd been holding when Charlie pulled her into an awkward one armed hug. "Heya, kiddo. Stand back, lemme take a look at ya," Charlie said, gently pushing Bella back.

"It's only been a year, dad," Bella muttered with a light blush.

He nodded. "Yeah, but look at ya! Tall as your dad already and as beautiful as your mother."

Not knowing how to reply, Bella just shrugged with a smile. Renee had told her, perhaps prematurely, on her sixth birthday, that Bella had been quite literally left on their doorstep one night during a storm. Bella thought she'd been joking, or exaggerating at least (who honestly ditches a kid on a doorstep during a storm?) in the beginning, but as they years went on, the story never changed. Never faltered. Never... didn't add up. And when she was old enough to research it on her own, looking through old Forks Newspapers, she found the article.

So, knowing she biologically never got a thing from either parent, Bella settled for a "You too." until she remembered what he said. "Er. You know what I mean."

"I'm as beautiful as Renee?" Charlie asked with a chuckle.

Bella nodded. "Yeah. Pretty as a flower."

"Ah shaddup," he grumbled, walking over to the cruiser and opening the back door. "Here, lemme help you with your ba-...never mind." He watched as Bella heaved the heavy luggage into the back seat with ease, and rushed to open the passenger door for her. Once he was seated and they were on the road and away from people, he saw her push the dark, reflective shades up into her hair and massage her temples. "So, uh...still sporting the shades?"

With a half-hearted frown, Bella turned her unique gaze to her father. Brown orbs melted away into a mossy green that matched the forest outside the window. Unique. Charlie and Renee had been insisting she call it that, rather than her 'freakish eyes' like the other kids had when she was younger. They were adamant on making her believe that she was special and not some weird, defected child. Which, if she were being truthful with herself, she really was. Strangely enough, her changing eyes were not the oddest thing about her. Luckily for infant Bella, Renee was a big fan of odd and unusual.

Shaking herself from thoughts that were likely to take a dark turn, Bella forced herself to smile at her father. "Yeah, it's a lot easier to hide them than to explain them. Does the school...?"

"Oh! Yeah, I called the principal and he told all your teachers not to mention the shades. They think it's, uh..." Charlie's brows furrowed as he tried to remember what he told the principal. "Extreme light sensitivity that triggers bad migraines. Which wasn't exactly a lie because of your headaches."

"Thanks," Bella said with a more genuine smile. "So... how's... uh... stuff?"

Charlie shifted around in his seat, just as uncomfortable at the thought of small talk as his daughter was. "It's good. Work's good. The house is good. Billy and Harry are good – hey," he grinned at her suddenly, "I almost forgot about that. Jake's been asking about you since I told them you're moving up here with us."

"Who?" Bella asked curiously, looking out the window as the city disappeared and they were surrounded by miles and miles of trees on either side of the highway. Man. Forks was green. She glanced in the side mirror to see the mossy colour leave her eyes, and tried to decide if the pale colour was more yellow or green now.

Charlie nodded and waved his hand around a little. "You know, Jacob Black. He was only your very best friend. You guys were brothers."

"Uh," her brows furrowed, "I'm a girl, dad."

He blushed deeply, eyes fixed on the road as embarrassment flooded the car. "I know that, Bella. Jeeze. You really don't remember him? You guys ran around Forks and the Res all day every day, insisting you were 'blood brothers' and that you couldn't go back to Phoenix and leave your brother behind." Charlie finally looked over at his daughter, reaching out to touch her left hand. "Even did that weird blood pact shake, took nine stitches to close up. You taught him how to braid his hair to keep it out of his face and he taught you how to climb trees. Never really took..."

"Wha!" Bella sputtered at the implication of her clumsy nature. However, a foggy little memory did force its way to the surface of her mind. Chasing a little tan boy around on bikes all day, playing in the woods and the beach. She looked down at her palm and the jagged, two inch scar there, running her fingers along it. "It sounds familiar. Didn't... didn't his mom pass away?"

Charlie's face faded into a sombre frown and he nodded gently again. "Yeah. There was a car accident, Jake lost his mother and Billy lost his legs. Jake took it pretty hard and stopped coming around the house, instead staying home to take care of his dad."

The silence that fell over the car was almost suffocating and Bella pulled her shades back down onto her face. They acted like a shield for her, protecting her from the scrutiny and insults and stares of other people, but also served well in hiding her emotions away.

As they said, eyes are the windows to the soul, and if people couldn't see hers, they couldn't read her.

"Anyway," Charlie murmured. "He's been fixing up the old camaro for you, as a welcome home gift."

Bella's eyes widened. "What? Holy crap, you're giving me Old Buggy?!" she exclaimed.

"Yeah," he chuckled and scratched the back of his neck. "Well, I don't have much use for it now with the cruiser and it was just collecting dust in the garage. So as long as you take care of it, it's yours."

"Thanks!" Bella said, grabbing her dad's arm and giving and affectionate squeeze. "Really, dad. Thank you."

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

Her old room was just as she remembered, right down to the giant purple quilt on her bed. Charlie hadn't changed a thing, and a snort worked its way out of Bella's mouth as she gazed at the hanged Barbie doll dangling from a branch just outside her window. What a weird kid she'd been.

"Obviously you're gonna... wanna change things... the hell did you pack?!... around in here now... that you're older..." her father wheezed, dragging her suitcase and duffle bag up the stairs behind her. He had insisted, but she still felt a little guilty when she looked back at his purple, sweaty face. He just glared at her when she tried to grab her stuff again. "I g-got it!"

Just inside the door, he let her stuff fall to the floor with a bang that shook the walls. "I don't know. The Barbie's gotta go, but everything else is fine, I think. Video game posters on the walls aren't tacky, right?" she asked. Charlie shrugged and then shook his head. "Eh. It's fine."

"Right, so." Charlie clapped his hands together and then rummaged around in his pocket until he pulled out a set of keys. "Wanna go take a look at Old Buggy?"

"Do I?" Bella said giddily, fumbling only once when her father tossed her the keys. The two both excitedly raced down the stairs, Bella pausing at the front door on the step and looked down at her hand. "A rabbit's foot? Really?"

"It's good luck," Charlie grumbled, walking over to the car covered in a sheet in the driveway. "Prepare yourself, kiddo!"

"Prep-ooh!" Bella stumbled down the porch, blushing furiously and ignoring her father's snickers. "Prepared!"

Charlie made drumming noises with his mouth, grabbing a corner of the sheet and yanked it off with all his might. Beneath, in all it's dusty... rusty glory was an old '78 camaro. Charlie's father had gotten it for him on his eighteenth birthday, and now Charlie was giving it to Bella on hers. Well, a couple weeks after hers. But still.

The body wasn't much to look at. It had been a slick, shiny midnight blue at one point, but the rainy climate of Forks saw to that. The rust wasn't too bad, mostly just around the wheels some, and little spots here and there. Inside those leather seats had a few stains (Renee truly was the messiest eater Charlie had ever seen) and a few rips (well, there was a reason why Renee didn't have nice things). The stick shift had been replaced with a (at the time) cool silver skull, the driving wheel had an old Star Wars wheel cover, and there was a pair of (thankfully small) lucky fuzzy dice hanging from the rearview mirror.

All and all, this thing must have been the bee's knees in the eighties. Now it was kind of a Hipster-mobile.

But the engine beneath the hood kicked some serious ass still after all the hours Charlie had put into maintenance over the years, and now with Jacob's care. It ran like a beauty even if it looked like a beast.

And Bella absolutely loved it. "Holy crap! This is so wicked, dad. You're the best, you are the best!"

"Ah," Charlie waved her off with a chuckle. "Well. Yeah, I'm the best. Hop in!"

Bella grinned and walked along the length of the car, running her hands gently along the roof. She wiped the dust and grime off on her pants and hopped inside, slightly surprised and just how comfy the seats were. Seconds later the engine roared to life, making both Swans grin even wider. "Hey, you mind if I take him out around town. Get a feel for where everything is again, maybe pick up some groceries."

"How do you know we need-"

"Dad," Bella deadpanned. "You always need groceries."

Charlie shrugged and stepped back to let Bella close the door. She unrolled the window with a smile, gripping the wheel tightly. "Alright, have at her. Be back by six, I'm ordering pizza and Billy and Jake are coming over to welcome you back to Forks."

With a salute to her father, Bella backed out of the driveway and then peeled down the road. She laughed joyously as the old car rumbled beneath her fingertips and tore down the road at impressive speeds.

Forks was smaller than she remembered, though that was to be expected from growing up and having lived in the city for so long. Still, it wasn't long until she had circled the town twice, found the quickest route to school, and stopped at the old abandoned park she and Jake used to play in as kids.

Memories were coming back to her more easily with visual cues, and Bella was constantly flooded with nostalgia. She parked the car and got out, stepping over the dinky little chain fence strung up between posts. The old rusty play structures were dripping and the grass was soaked, but the rain had finally let up. Bella breathed in a deep lungful of crisp, fresh air, and let it out in a sigh.

This is where she would be for the next three years, at least. This was her home now.

Bella wiped the puddle of rainwater off the seat of one of the swings to sit down. Her feet never left the ground but she pushed herself back and forth slowly.

Tomorrow was her first day of school. Her first day of high school. It had to go well, if it didn't... she couldn't take three more years of being the outcast. The weird girl with freaky eyes. Not like in Phoenix. She couldn't pretend that didn't hurt. That she was unaffected by it all.

The odds were not in her favour though. The universe liked to stack them against her, in fact. She would be the only eighteen-year-old in the tenth grade (Renee's inability to trust kids not to pick on her made the woman hold onto Bella a few more years before starting school), if someone got a look at her eyes it would be over, and her mark? The thing that could only be described as a tattoo on the side of her neck, some weird... tribal looking squiggle. There was no way to hide it all.

She could already hear the rumours about her; _older tattooed girl held back two grades for flunking. For dropping out. For drugs._

They'd gone around enough at her old school.

Bella sighed, hanging her head and staring at her feet. Her parents (birth parents, that is) really didn't give her a chance in this world. They certainly didn't make it easy.

A twig snapping alerted Bella to the fact that she wasn't alone, and alarmed, she looked up and around. Nothing. Bella slowly got up to her feet, glancing around herself as she cautiously made her way back towards the car. No one was there but she definitely, _definitely_ heard someone step on a twig.

An eerie chill ran down Bella's spine and she shivered, looking back at the play structures. Now that she thought about it, the whole thing was kinda creepy and not at all nostalgic. Another twig snapped and Bella jumped, whipping around to look into the woods beside her with wide eyes.

"Wh-AAAGGGHH!" she screamed. A light brown little lump of, well, she didn't know what, but it came shooting out of the woods right at her, tackling her to the ground. The thing trembled and whined in her arms while she tried to stop flailing boney limbs from kicking her in the face. Soon she had wrestled the thing still in her arms, feeling its erratic breathing and pounding heartbeat against her chest. Bella craned her head back to look down at the... deer in her arms?

Bella shook her head, loosening her grip. "Well that's weird," she muttered, staring down into terrified brown eyes. "Easy, eeeeaaasy... there. Just breathe," she cooed gently, trying to calm the poor little thing. "Charlie is never going to believe this."

With a sigh, Bella gently stroked the deer's head, ignoring the shooting pain in her legs from it having trampled her in their scuffle. She waited until it didn't seem like the thing was going to explode from terror and slowly dropped her arms. It seemed hesitant to leave, eyes flickering all around the park, looking for something.

Something Bella found immediately after when she looked back into the trees.

A pair of bright, almost glowing golden eyes were peering down at her from the shadows of the tree. Impossibly still and impossibly high up in the tree, staring right through her, into the very depths of her soul. Bella felt herself blush despite the fear that spiked through her chest.

Having followed Bella's line of sight, the deer caught sight of its predator again and shot off like a rocket in the opposite direction. Flattening Bella once again. Pushing herself back up and spitting out a mouthful of fur, Bella's eyes shot to the tree.

And for some ridiculous, inexplicable reason... she was disappointed at the empty shadows that met her.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

By the time Bella got back home, the sun had set behind the grey sky and it was dark out. She didn't recognize the truck in the driveway behind her father's cruiser and assumed it was Billy's and that company was already there. She parked in the spot Charlie had Buggy in earlier and got out to grab the groceries from the passenger seat.

She could feel more than see the giant shadow that fell on her and turned around with the bags in her hands. Coming face to face with a giant. The boy was tall and muscular and the only thing that tipped her off to this actually being a boy was the baby face staring back at her. Wrinkle free smooth skin, with young eyes, and a dopey grin. "Cut your hair, Jake?" Bella laughed.

As kids, the two had fairly similar hair, in length and body. Looking at him now, however, Bella wouldn't be surprised if he hacked it off on his own with a knife. Dark locks stood up here and there, despite his giant tanned hand mashing it down to his head, and it was oddly charming. "Yeah, well... you got boobs!" he huffed, as if it were an insult.

A heartbeat went by and even in the dark, Bella could see a light blush on his cheeks. "Thanks for not making this reunion weird," she said with a chuckle. "Make yourself useful, you big ox."

Jake grabbed the bags from his old best friend with another grin and fell in line, following her inside. "Man, it's great to have you back here, Bella. Really missed you throughout the years. How've you been, how was life in the big city?"

"Eh," she muttered, leading him down the hallway to the kitchen. Charlie and Billy were immersed in their game and barely registered that the door had opened. "It was alright, I guess. Kinda hot. People in the city are kinda douchebags, too."

Tilting his head to the side, Jacob set the bags of groceries on the table. "How s-oh! Your eyes," he breathed, leaning down to try and peer into the shades. "I completely forgot about them. And your cool tattoo thing."

"Not a tattoo," she said under her breath with a frown. "But yeah. I'm hoping the kids around here will take it a little better if I slip up."

Jake frowned. "Don't hide it, Bella, it's so cool. I wish my eyes changed like that."

"Oh, yeah," Bella snapped sarcastically. "They're really great, super neat. Right up until a bunch of thirteen-year-olds lock you in Stella's dad's backyard shed all night because they think you're a witch. The fun pretty much stops there."

"Oh," he said, staring down at his feet like a kicked puppy. "I'm sorry they did that to you, Bella. If I'd been there, I would have kicked all their asses. Promise."

Bella snorted. "I believe that. Remember that kid on the beach one year, he kept calling me names and making fun of my mark. P... Peter? Paul? You punched him right in the nose," she said with a laugh.

"Paul, yeah!" Jacob boomed out his own laugh. He leant against the counter, running a hand through his choppy hair with a nostalgic sigh. "No one makes fun of my brother!"

She pinched her nose but couldn't smother the smile on her face. "Again, I'm a girl."

"Yeah, but you're still my brother," Jacob said with a dismissive wave. "It's more of a title than a gender. Oh, hey, there's pizza staying warm in the oven for you. We got hungry and kinda ate already." Bella took a break from putting things away to munch on a slice of pizza, and Jake took her spot, guessing where most of the stuff went. "So how are your headaches? You used to get them _all_ the time but we've gone-" he glanced down at his watch, "-twenty minutes without even a wince from you."

Bella nodded, staring down at her pizza while pulling off some bacon. She popped it into her mouth. "They're kinda better and kinda worse. I don't get them nearly as often anymore. Sometimes just once every couple of days. But they're stronger now, so that sucks. What about you? You look... healthy?"

He laughed at the awkward face she made and straightened up to flex his rather large muscles. "Been working out for about a year now," it wasn't totally a lie, "like what you see?"

"No thanks, _brother_ ," Bella scoffed with a smirk.

Jake stuck his tongue out at her. "Well you don't know what you're missing," he joked. "Or are you already taken? Any broken hearts you left back in Phoenix, no boyfriends pining after you?"

"Nope."

"Any girlfriends?" he asked wryly, wiggling his eyebrows.

Bella rolled her eyes, the action lost on him as he couldn't actually see her eyes. "No, the only people I left were my mom and her fiancee." She grabbed another slice of pizza and hoisted herself up on the counter with a grin. "I'm hesitant to ask, what with a mug like yours, but any girls in your life?"

"Ouch!" Jacob laughed, holding a hand to his chest. "You wound me! Hah. But, uh, I don't know. There might be. Wooing girls isn't easy."

"Don't I know it."

His dark eyes lit up and the smile on his face threatened to split in two. " _Are_ youuuu...?"

"That's none of your business," Bella said with a tsk.

"Does Charlie know?" he asked, looking down the hallway at their fathers.

Bella shrugged her shoulders. "There's nothing to know, Ox."

"Fine, fine. Push me away. We've only been friends for sixteen years," he said with a pout, his enormous shoulders hunched over. "Come on, I fixed up your car for you."

"Oh yeah," Bella agreed, hopping down from the counter. She grabbed one last slice of pizza, reached up to tussle Jake's bangs, and turned on her heel for the living room. "Thanks a bunch, dork."

Jacob's mouth fell open in mock hurt. "Huh. I'll remember this next time it needs work, brother!"

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **Okay, so I know about half of you are wanting to murder me right now? Accurate? Something along the lines of "how dare you start a new story when you have others to finish first!" I'm guessing here, I could be wrong. I mean, I know some of you like when I post, no matter the story. Where to start explaining. I suppose the first thing to say is THIS ONE IS ALREADY COMPLETE, just to get that out there. I've been writing this one on the side of ALL my other works for a long, long time now. It's helped me get through writer's block, it's more of a tool than a story. Yet still a story, hence why I'm posting it.**

 **Yeah, so don't worry about postings? I'll be posting a new chapter every week or every other week. Probably every week. It's all already written and waiting to go, and hopefully this will help tide you over between updates of my other stories, which I'm now getting back to.**

 **MY HIATUS was in large part due to writing an original novel. I've since completed it, and am now in the process of querying literary agents. That takes SO MUCH time, that I can now work on all of my fanfiction in peace. That means I'm coming back to my stories again, here to finish them off. I said I wouldn't abandon them, and I meant it. Writing here still means a lot to me, and is still helping me quite a bit. As you will see through the improvement of my writing in this story and new chapters of the others.**

 **So that about covers the literary aspect of all of this. This story is complete, though if there are specific things you want to see or take issue with, or WHATEVER, tell me in a review and I can tweak future chapters before posting them. Or just review and tell me what you liked. That's always nice.**

 **To those of you who are, like, interested I guess, I'm super late to the game but I made a Tumblr account in my absence here. I'm a hell of a lot more interactive there, if you wanna talk or have questions, or just share in all the glorious femslash content I churn out. (thirteenohtooDOTtumblrDOTcom)**

 **Also, for those interested, I EVEN MORE recently (like today) started a gay blog on Tumblr. Or rather, a blog about being gay. "How To Be A Lesbian, A Guide Through Experience; the do's and don'ts of dating girls" which is basically just me telling stories about my disastrous dating life that my friends and family like to laugh at and said I should share. So learn from my mistakes, have a chuckle at my misery, get to know the author of these stories y'all are miracuously a fan of. (mostlydontsDOTtumblrDOTcom)**

 **As always, I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and peace out.**

 **Paige**


	2. Chapter 2

**CULLEN FAMILY** : Esme and Carlisle. Rosalie and Emmett. Jasper and Victoria. Edward. Alice. Wensley and Jessica.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Twilight.

 **Rated:** T.

 **Author:** xPaige Turnerx

 **Summary:** COMPLETED AND WAITING TO POST. "Trust me, dating a vampire and having a wolf for a brother are the LEAST complicated aspects of my life. Every now and then my nose reenacts the elevator scene from The Shining, and I randomly wake up in the woods. Normal was shot to Hell a long time ago."

" _At the center of your being_

 _you have the answer;_

 _you know who you are_

 _you know what you want."_

 _-Lao Tzu_

Golden eyes watched the deer clumsily search the park for her, knowing she was close. So close but seconds too late.

Past the blood haze in her mind, deep down beneath her hunger and rage at losing her meal, she was startled and surprised at the human in the park trying to calm the frantic animal down. How often did you see a wild, timid animal like that run _to_ people?

The predator's blood red lips curled back over her fangs to let out a rumbling growl. _So close._ How had she not seen the girl in the park before then? Was she that caught up in her hunt? Sloppy.

Feral instincts faded, receding back into the dark depths of her being, and Alice shook the haze from her head. She sighed dejectedly, knowing she wouldn't find anything else before getting back to the house. She didn't feel like going on an elaborate hunt deep into the woods that night, she had too much to do before school the next morning.

Grumbling, Alice glared lightly at the human who had ruined her supper, wondering just who was out in the old abandoned park. And why, for that matter. No one ever went there anymore.

Alice's head tilted to the side and she leaned forward on her branch, trying to catch a look at the stranger's face. They weren't from Forks, that much was for sure. Alice would have remembered her. There was something... compelling about her, something that dragged Alice's eyes back each time she tried to look away. Those damn shades were in her way, though.

The stranger gently stroked the deer's head, and Alice could hear that frantic little heart slow down. Well, someone had an affinity for animals, apparently. The corner of Alice's mouth curved up in a little smile. What a gentle soul this human must have, to be able to coax such a skittish animal to sit in her lap.

Too lost in thought at how peculiar and... precious this scene was; a human holding a frightened deer, Alice hadn't realized that the girl was actively looking around for whatever spooked the animal. Even though she could not see past the reflective surfaces of the shades, Alice knew that the gaze had landed on her.

She knew when her muscles all locked into place, feeling like she was being electrocuted in all the best ways. When the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. When the agonizing flame in her throat suddenly died out. When the world stopped turning, and night and day crashed into each other.

When she swore her heart, that had died one hundred years ago, gave a phantom beat.

And just like that, it was gone. The deer saw her and darted off again, tackling the human once more.

Alice shook her head while the girl spat out a mouthful of fur, and fell backwards out of the tree. The second her feet touched the forest floor, she tore off in the opposite direction of the park, heading back to the safety of her home.

What was that? What just happened? How... _how?_

The trees in the forest blurred together and in minutes she skidded to a stop just outside her house. Her mind was filled with images of the girl in the park, questions of what had happened to her, fears of... well, what had happened to her.

She told herself that it was because she didn't want to needlessly worry her family, that she played old eighties songs over and over in her head to keep her brother out. If he heard any of what was going on in there, _he_ would have questions and worries, and he would tell everyone, and then they'd all worry about her, and really it wasn't that big of a deal.

So a girl saw her. Not even her, just her eyes, nothing else was visible. So her gaze was so powerful it literally immobilized Alice until she looked away. So she felt... _alive_ for the first time in her vampiric life.

So what.

"Is there any particular reason we're just standing in front of the house instead of going in?"

Alice jumped at the sudden and unexpected voice, turning to look at the surprised face of her older sister. "Victoria," she breathed, letting out a deep breath. "You surprised me."

Both girls kind of jumped at the admittance, neither expecting that. Alice, surprised? Never in one hundred years had she heard of such a thing. "That's new," she said with a thoughtful look. "What were you thinking about so hard that you didn't see me coming?"

"Nothing," Alice shot out quickly. Too quickly, as she saw Victoria's eyes narrow in suspicion. "I was just thinking of what I'm going to wear to school tomorrow. Must have zoned out for a moment. Sorry." She needlessly cleared her throat and shook off her frazzled attitude, deciding to deal with it all later.

Victoria crossed her arms over her chest, though one hand came up to tap her chin. "If you say so," she agreed for now. "How was your hunt?"

"Great, thank you," Alice replied, clasping her hands behind her back. "How was your drive?"

"Not as eventful, I'm afraid," Victoria said, leading the two of them into the house. "Came across the stench of dog, so the Black wolf must be in town again. Remind me again why we let them traipse around our territory but we can't even _blink_ at the border?"

"We're trying to establish trust, Victoria," Carlisle said, sweeping around the corner and into the front foyer. Alice took in the white lab coat and brown briefcase, assuming he was off to work. Carlisle caught her eye and smiled with a nod. "Called in for the late shift. Mrs Weatherfield is complaining about chest pains again."

Alice's eyes glazed over and seconds later she was stifling a smirk. "She's still eating lobster."

"Of course she is," Carlisle grumbled, his face falling.

A big sigh heaved his shoulders and he trudged over towards the door. Just before he left, Alice looked over her shoulder to catch his eye. "She's going to make another move halfway through the appointment when you get close. Lean to the left."

"Oh come on!" he groaned, throwing his hands in the air as the door swung closed behind him.

The girls waited until they could hear his car roar to life before they broke out in laughter. It never ceased to amuse the family when Carlisle got hit on at work. The man was just too kind for his own good and had a hard time letting people down. It truly was a good thing Esme wasn't the jealous type.

"So do you want to talk about it?" Victoria asked quietly. Enough that the rest of the household wouldn't hear them.

Alice's smile fell slightly. "There's nothing to talk about," she replied just as quietly.

"Say what you will, Alice," Victoria said with her own frown. "We've all noticed your moping lately. You've become more reserved and quiet. More distant than normal. You know that you can talk to any of us about anything, that you don't have to suffer silently."

"I know." Alice nodded. She also knew what all of them would say before they said it. That sometimes talking to them was pointless, or at the very least... predictable. And it wasn't their fault, it wasn't anyone's fault, it was just... how it was. But that didn't change the fact that she wanted something more, something different. She wanted spontaneity, she wanted fresh and exciting conversations, she wanted surprises and unexpected delights.

She wanted _experience f_ or once, she was so tired of just going through the motions of life. How very dull it could be to _know_ it all and _experience_ none of it herself.

Her family just couldn't do that for her, no matter how hard they tried, so why bring it up at all?

Sensing that Alice wasn't going to budge on the issue, not with her at least, Victoria offered her little sister a reassuring smile. "Things will turn around, Alice. Whatever has you in the dumps won't last long." With that, she blurred off into the house to find her husband before they had to head to school.

Leaving Alice alone. Again.

The pixie sighed, allowing herself to wallow in her misery for only a moment longer until she shook herself and hooked a smile on her face. She skipped into the living room where most of her family was, playing video games, reading, or just enjoying each other's company. Alice beamed, taking her spot next to Edward on the bench of his piano as he played a slightly macabre melody. The boy knew how to brood. "Hello, Edward."

"Alice," he greeted, inclining his head but never dropping his attention from the ivory keys. "So are you going to keep us in suspense, or will you tell us about them?"

Alice froze, wide golden eyes shooting over to her brother's face. How did he know? She was being so careful with her thoughts, she hadn't thought about the park once since getting home. "What do you mean?" she asked cautiously.

The others looked up in varying levels of interest. It wasn't often Alice didn't know what someone meant. Edward's brows furrowed and he finally looked away from the piano and to his little sister. She looked... unnerved and yet all he could hear in her head was some old song from a couple decades ago, looping over and over. He frowned absently. "The new kid at school. Rumour has it that they start tomorrow. Anything to say about them?"

"Oh," Alice breathed in relief. And then she frowned, too. There was a new kid going to school tomorrow? "I... don't know. I haven't seen them," she said with a twinge of frustration and fascination. First the park and now a new kid? Maybe the strangers were one and the same? Able to hide from her visions? How peculiar.

With her own suspicious thoughts, Rosalie gingerly set down her car magazine in her lap and looked across the room to her youngest siblings. "You didn't see them? How does that happen?"

"I'm not sure," Alice replied honestly. She couldn't stop the corner of her mouth curving up in a smile. "It's kind of refreshing."

"Or alarming," Edward countered. "We've never come across someone whose future you could not see. Even the wolves you can predict through the static and blackouts. This new kid... do they not affect you at all?"

Alice purposefully searched the future this time, her eyes clouding over. A difficult task, reading the future, something she hadn't mastered yet. Not that you could, she was sure nobody ever would. It was like trying to remember something that hadn't happened yet, searching for a memory that you don't have.

She blinked a few times until her eyes cleared up and shrugged her shoulders. "Nope. As if they don't exist."

"Should we be concerned?" Esme asked, trusting her daughter's instincts. Even without her _actual_ visions, the pixie's gut was the most reliable of the house. She could sense danger, even if she couldn't see it.

Alice lightly shook her head. If this new kid was the same girl from the park, which would be an enormous coincidence if it wasn't, then they were fine. The girl was gentle. Kind enough to calm down and protect a deer from Alice. Those were her reasons, definitely not at all because she didn't want the family pulling up roots and moving before Alice could try and figure out what the girl did to her. Or why. "No, I believe we're fine as is, and I would like to meet this... person," she'd almost said girl and gave herself away, "figure out just why I can't See them."

"Let's hope you're not putting the entire family in danger just to sate your curiosity, Alice," Rosalie said, her frown deepening. Any number of things could happen on a daily basis that would endanger their family. What if a human got a nose bleed in Jasper's class? What if they overheard something while the family wasn't paying attention and speaking freely? What if they saw vampiric qualities or actions? Alice not being able to see and therefore prevent this, was extremely dangerous.

Leaning against the doorway to the living room next to his mate, Wensley cleared his throat to make his presence known. "I agree with Rosalie. Flying blind is never a good idea. This child, human though they may be, is a potential risk to us. I don't see why we cannot simply leave and start fresh somewhere else."

"Some of us don't feel like letting a little human chase us out of our home," Emmett challenged from the couch, his game completely forgotten. "It's one kid. Big whoop. Ali says it's fine, and I trust her judgement. I hate moving, and I just finally finished unpacking all my stuff. Grow a pair and just keep an extra eye out if you're so scared." He turned to look at his wife who raised an eyebrow at him. He winced. "No offence, Rosie."

"Perhaps we should call it to a vote?" Jasper asked, looking around the room. "If Carlisle is the tie breaker, he can decide the final decision when he gets home."

Esme nodded. "Yes, that seems fair. Alright. Who votes we pack up and leave?"

Immediately Rosalie and Wensley's hands shot up, and the two looked around the room expectantly. "Don't forget we also wouldn't have to deal with the wolves anywhere else," she said.

Slowly, Edward raised his hand as well. Jasper considered both sides but decided he didn't want to risk the human having an accident around him and he slip up. He raised his hand above his head, confused at the wave of hurt he felt coming from Alice.

"Alright," Esme said quietly in the suddenly silent room. "That's four for moving. Who votes we stay but remain cautious?"

Alice's hand rose in the blink of an eye, followed closely by Emmett. Esme raised her own hand as well, her faith in Alice unwavering. As was Victoria's, who raised her hand up. Wensley looked beside him at his mate, frowning when Jessica slowly raised her hand up too. Alice's eyes clouded over for a second before her face split in two from her grin. "Carlisle will vote we stay, as well. That settles it. Six against four."

As the others grumbled or cheered for their loss or victory, Alice danced back out of the room and up the stairs to get ready for school. She let out the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding, and tried to shake the sense of relief that fell upon her like a cloud.

The thought of leaving, of never meeting the girl from the park... it made her gut churn almost painfully.

This was turning out to be quite the eventful move.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

The next morning it was Charlie who woke Bella up to get ready for school, not her alarm like she'd been hoping. He figured she should get an early start on her first day, and slowly eased the bedroom door open after two soft knocks.

Inside was... he wasn't really sure what it was or how it happened. All he could process was Bella's bedroom window hanging wide open, and the room _f_ _ull_ of birds. He'd never seen such a site in his entire life.

Charlie closed his agape mouth, moustache twitching as he cautiously inched his head into the room. Big blackbirds, ravens if he had to guess -Billy had all but _drilled_ the knowledge of woodland creatures into his head over the years- took up space in Bella's room. On her windowsill, on her dressers, perched on her mirror and footboard of her bed, on the ground. There had to be at least a dozen, maybe two!

One wrong move and it could go horribly, _horribly_ wrong. "Bella," Charlie whispered gently, wincing when one of the ravens ruffled its feathers. A few pairs of those beady black eyes landed on him, making him shift uncomfortably. "Bella!" he tried again, a little louder this time.

"Only if the fish brings his own hat..." Bella slurred, turning over to bury her face into her pillow. Charlie rolled his eyes. He leant further into the room, reaching down to grab a stray sock, and threw it at his daughter. "No! I'm...'m not an alien..."

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Charlie glanced around the room again. Maybe if he could shoo them all towards the window they would just leave? No, what if they attacked? Bella had to be ready to hide. " _Bella!"_ he whisper-yelled.

"-trapped in castle Volt-?" Bella half gasped out, springing into a sitting position in her bed.

Charlie could tell his daughter wasn't completely awake yet. Mostly because she hadn't opened her eyes and was still snoring slightly, but she was mobile and open to suggestion. "Bella, get under your blankets and stay there, okay? Bella? Can you hear me?"

"Dad?" she asked, breaking out into a yawn and stretching her arms above her head. "Oh man, what time is it?" she asked, blinking tired blue eyes at him. "Why is your face like... oh. That's a lot of birds."

"Don't move, kiddo," Charlie said gently. "On the count of three, I'm going to shoo them towards your window. You get back under your covers and get ready."

Bella nodded, pulling the blankets up to her chin until she froze. "WAIT! What if they... ya know... bullseye my room?"

"Seriously?" Charlie deadpanned. "I'm worried about them pecking your eyes right out of their sockets. We can deal with a little bird crap."

"Like hell we can," Bella bellowed, crossing her arms over her chest. "It's not _your_ room that will be Dung Central." With that, Bella threw her covers off her completely and swung her legs over the side of her bed. Charlie squeaked, his heart in his throat, waiting for those beady-eyed bastards to peck his daughter to death. "Relax. If you're calm, they're calm," Bella said, walking over to her window. The ravens there looked up at her, heads tilting to the side. "Sorry, my little rats with wings, but you gotta go."

With that, she shoved the birds out the window, listening to them caw and fly off. And though no one would believe them, both she and Charlie _swore_ there was an annoyed tone to their caws. Bella went around the room, scooping ravens up and tossing them out the window, every single time praying that they would control their bowels until out of her room.

"Bye bye, birdie," Bella said with a smirk, grabbing the last raven and bringing it to the window. "Tell your pals not to come back."

She watched it fly off with the others and let out a deep breath before turning back to her dad. He opened the door completely, wiping the sweat from his forehead. "Well. That was an interesting start to the morning. I think I'm going to go... process that."

"I'd just forget about it," Bella suggested with a shrug. "Seems easier than explaining _that_."

"Right," he agreed. He shook his head and turned to leave. "Breakfast will be ready after your shower."

"Sounds good," Bella said, saluting his back and watched him leave. She looked around her room, checking for any little white bombs that might have been left behind, and was thoroughly relieved when she found none.

She stumbled around the room, grabbing books and pens and anything she thought she'd need for school, into the messenger bag Renee had bought for her before leaving. Thankfully her mother also thought to wash _everything_ Bella owned before packing it up, and the girl had a wide variety of clothes to choose from for her first day. Jeans and a band tee were her usual go-to, but it was a little chillier in Forks than she was used to, so she pulled a long sleeve over top and headed downstairs.

Charlie was leaning back against the counter, sipping a steaming cup of coffee and reading the newspaper laid on the counter before him. His moustache twitched and he glanced up at his daughter when she all but collapsed into one of the chairs. "Thought you were gonna shower?"

"I was," she agreed and yawned again. She grabbed the big permanent marker beside the notepad at the table and tucked it up behind her ear, stuffing the pad in her bag. Doodling was one of her favourite hobbies and was the only thing that would get her through the day. "Then I decided _why put in the effort_ and did not."

Her father nodded and set the coffee down. "Fair enough." He opened the fridge, grabbed a bowl of cut up fruit and bacon from the previous morning. "You want eggs?"

"Nah," Bella shook her head and waved him over. "Watermelon and bacon, can't beat that."

"You're an odd kid, you know that?"

She waited until he looked down at her, and in the reflection of his badge, she could see her blue eyes darken to milk chocolate. "No. Really, me? Odd? I had _no_ idea."

"Bit of a smartass too," he sniffed, sticking his chin in the air. "I blame the city."

"Me too," she agreed with a snicker. "Renee's the most average person in the world, there's no way she did this to me."

Finally, Charlie barked out a laugh, grabbing the back of a chair to steady himself. "Nope, can't do it. Can't even _j_ _okingly_ agree that Renee is in any way average. That woman is a wild card and I'm glad to see you take after your mother, Bells."

A blush fought its way to her cheeks and Bella looked away, scratching the back of her neck. "Yeah, well. Maybe. I should probably head out, school and all. Don't wanna be late on top of everything else."

"Sure, sure," Charlie nodded. "You let me know if anyone gives you a hard time, right?" Though his daughter halfheartedly agreed, he could see genuine anxiety and doubt in her eyes. "At least let Jake know, alright? Don't suffer alone, Bella."

She shrugged. "I can take care of myself, dad."

"I know, believe me, I know. You shouldn't have to though."

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **Chapter Dos! Told you I'd update every week. Boom! Keeping promises like a pro. So yeah, I know there hadn't been any interaction between Bella and Alice yet, or at least that they know of, but next chapter. Don't worry. I might post that one earlier just because this one was kinda short, but that's just how it turned out. I don't know, we'll see, I guess. Also, it's nice to see some of you guys on tumblr! I posted a little supergirl ficlet there, and I do plan to post more, so if you're into that show, swing by. Also, if you're into Supercorp, swing by, because that is like mostly what I do there. Other stuff too, but I'm pretty obsessed right now.**

 **Alright, peace out, and I hope you enjoyed the chapter.**

 **Paige**


	3. Chapter 3

**CULLEN FAMILY** : Esme and Carlisle. Rosalie and Emmett. Jasper and Victoria. Edward. Alice. Wensley and Jessica.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Twilight.

 **Rated:** T.

 **Author:** xPaige Turnerx

 **Summary:** COMPLETED AND WAITING TO POST. "Trust me, dating a vampire and having a wolf for a brother are the LEAST complicated aspects of my life. Every now and then my nose reenacts the elevator scene from The Shining, and I randomly wake up in the woods. Normal was shot to Hell a long time ago."

" _At the center of your being_

 _you have the answer;_

 _you know who you are_

 _you know what you want."_

 _-Lao Tzu_

If there was one thing Bella knew she did well, it was wearing masks. Keeping everything under the surface, not letting anyone get a peek at the chaotic waters down below. At first to spare her parents from worries and guilt, then to protect herself from the particularly cruel world of grade school. After so many years of practice, it came to her so easily, pretending to be unaffected by it all. Sometimes she even convinced herself of the mask. Apathy was so close, so blissfully close, but, ultimately, just out of reach.

So as Bella sat in her car, hand on the keys, staring at the parking lot quickly filling with other cars and students, she took a shaky breath. This was it, this was the beginning. The first day was the most important and it would determine how the rest of her stay in Forks would be. Bella glanced up in the rearview mirror, incredibly dark and reflective shades staring back at her. She'd splurged a little bit on her coat, dipping into her savings, but decided in the end it was worth it. A nice leather with some cool buckles, but more importantly a high collar that hid the mark on her neck.

"I guess it's time to boogie," she muttered to herself, sparing one last glance at the lucky dice hanging from the mirror.

Forks was brisk, there was a constant chilly bite to the air that was not quite unpleasant. Phoenix really was too hot for her most of the time, too bright, maybe Forks would be a nice change. Bella shifted the strap across her chest, stuffed her hands into her pockets, and made her way to the office building nearby.

Inside sat a rather chipper looking woman with peculiar looking purple glasses. Her flaming red hair was curly, done up in a bun and roll that had a certain fifties quality to it that Bella found she kind of liked. "Hello, dear. You must be Isabella. We haven't had a new face around here since the Cullens."

"Sure," Bella agreed with a nod, stepping up to the counter of the risen desk. She wasn't sure if she should know who the Cullens were or not, but the way this woman had said it was kind of odd. "I'm looking for my schedule and map?"

The woman beamed, searching one of her drawers. "Of course, here." She placed a few papers on the counter and slid them across to Bella's waiting hands. "Looks like your first class is History, it's in that far building down there. Take a left at the end of the hall, and it's the last door on the right."

"Thank you," Bella replied. She folded the papers up, stuffed them in her back pocket, and headed back outside.

Only to run smack dab into two fairly attractive blondes right out the door. "Fucking hell!" the girl cursed, spinning on her heel and falling backwards against the side of the building. The boy desperately reached for her but toppled forwards to the ground, with Bella landing on his other side, her legs draped over him. "Who just-"

"Lauren!" the boy gasped, yanking his backpack off of his face. "Oh good, you're still up. Hey, who's this? You're the new girl, right?"

Bella waited for the burning blush in her cheeks to die down before pushing herself up to her feet again. She helped the boy up, surprised at the eager, friendly face beaming back at her. Those big blue eyes and dopey grin kind of reminded her of a puppy and she found him rather endearing already. "Yeah, I'm Bella," she replied. Her eyes found the girl who was leaning back against the building still, but a little more gracefully this time. Lounging and watching Bella with piercing green eyes. "Sorry about that, I didn't even see you guys out here."

The boy laughed, dusting his pants off. He glanced at the girl, his brows tugging together in concern a little, but the smile was glued to his face. "No problem. Almost nobody goes into the office building anymore, so we weren't really paying attention either. Oh, I'm Mike, by the way. This is Lauren."

"You're the Chief's daughter?" Lauren finally asked, her eyes scrutinizing Bella curiously.

Feeling a little self-conscious, Bella crossed her arms over her chest. The bell signalling class would be starting soon had to be coming. She hadn't been _that_ early. "Yup."

"Watch your step, Swan," Lauren warned. She pushed off from the wall, circling around Bella, never breaking eye contact while Mike gathered their things. "Forks is an awfully small town, and bored teenagers can be... devastatingly harsh. Next person you bump into might not be so friendly."

Again, Mike laughed but this one sounded strained. He gave Lauren a little shove towards their class building and offered Bella one last smile. "Believe it or not, that _is_ Lauren's friendly. Come find us at lunch, if we don't share any classes. We'll take you under our wing, young grasshopper, introduce you to friends, and caution you of foes."

Bella snorted, watching them leave, a little more amused than nervous now. She gave him a little wave before the two blondes ducked into one of the closer buildings, leaving Bella to herself on the way to her first class again. Without the distraction, she could feel eyes burning holes everywhere on her body, and a quick glance around the parking lot showed a bunch of different groups of kids glancing at her.

Joy.

Her first class was history like the secretary had said, and Bella was pleased to find that she was one of the first kids there. Her teacher briefly introduced herself and told Bella to take a seat where she pleased, not minding in the slightest when she dropped into the back corner desk.

That was when she first saw one. A Cullen, she'd later remember.

The girl was on the shorter side, her hair curly and a pale brown, but impossibly silky looking. It fell in chocolate curls down her shoulders, framing a thin, porcelain face. Her makeup was minimal because it could only possibly _obscure_ the true beauty beneath and Bella felt her breath catch in her throat.

Beautiful. _Beautiful._

She'd never called someone beautiful before. Cute? Sure. Pretty? Absolutely. Wildly attractive? Occasionally. But beautiful? Breathtaking? Never. Not until that very moment.

The strangest thing, however, was that beauty was... offputting. It didn't make her feel insecure so much as it made her feel anxious. So beautiful that it drew you in, fogged up your mind, and left an underlying sensation of trepidation.

Well, for Bella at least, and only until those impossibly golden eyes met hers. So much joy and excitement in them, pure and genuine happiness. Bella felt her rigid shoulders relax, and a smile tug at her own lips. The beautiful girl's face brightened even more and she gave a little wave.

Bella successfully fought off her blush, nodded, and busied herself with her notebook. The classroom began filling up around her until all the desks were taken and the teacher began her lecture of the late sixteen hundreds. History wasn't exactly Bella's favourite class. She wasn't bad at it, per say, but she often found her thoughts drifting.

As they did that day. Sighing lightly, Bella rested her chin in the palm of her hand, leant into her desk, and let her gaze flicker around the room. Most of the kids were paying attention to the lesson, a couple of them were whispering amongst themselves, and finally Bella's eyes landed on the girl from before.

Her notebook was opened on the desk in front of her, the two pages filled to the brim with writing, but the girl herself wasn't paying attention in the slightest. She was leaning back in her seat, angled sideways with one leg crossed over the other, tapping away on her cell phone.

Bella frowned, looking back to the teacher. The woman would look out at the class every few moments, making sure everyone was following along, so obviously she'd seen the girl on her cellphone. Bella waited for the next sweep of her eyes, lingering on the cell phone, but still, she continued her lecture. Seriously? She wasn't going to do anything about it? Were they allowed to go on their phones during class? Since when?

As fate would have it, Bella felt her own phone vibrate in her pocket. She idly pulled it out of her pocket, tapping the screen to life, and saw a number she didn't recognize.

 **Call: J. Black**

 **Sup, Bella. It's Jake! A couple friends and I are having a bonfire this weekend on the beach, you know the one our parents used to take us to in the summers. You in?**

She chuckled lowly and quickly saved the number in her phone before quickly typing a reply, telling him she was in. It'd been... years since she'd been to a bonfire and so far, the whole "making friends" thing wasn't working out well on her own. Mike and Lauren had been... more awkward than anything, and nobody sat beside her in class. Maybe it would be easier to make friends if she had Jake to lean on.

"Miss Swan?"

Her fingers froze, the hairs on the back of her neck standing up. _No. No way. No waaaay!_ Bella slowly looked up to the front of the classroom where the teacher had her arms crossed. She swallowed painfully and glanced around the room, noticing about half the kids staring back at her. "Oh come on," she growled under her breath. "Yeah?"

"I know you're new and this is your first class, but I'd appreciate you paying a little more attention. You're already behind the rest of the class, don't you think you should be working extra hard to catch up? Maybe spend a little more time in the textbook and a little less on your phone?"

Stuffing her phone back into her pocket, Bella nodded jerkily. "Sounds like a good plan, ma'am," she replied in a raspy voice. _Stop looking at me, stop looking at me. Just turn around._

Eventually, the teacher went back to her lesson and the other kids went back to their work. Bella grabbed her pen, jotting down a couple lines of notes, and looked around the room once more. Golden eyes caught her gaze and Bella's jaw clenched. She'd placed her phone on the corner of her desk and looked to be waiting to catch Bella's eye. _'Sorry!'_ she mouthed.

Bella huffed, her shoulders lifting and dropping in a rough shrug.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

Classes after that blurred by together into one boring swirl. Most kids ignored her, thankfully, a couple stared and whispered about her glasses, and one or two actually ventured a conversation. Well they tried, Bella really did suck at the friendship thing.

By the time lunch rolled around, Bella was equally excited and nervous. She finally had a break to text Jake and just _breathe_ without being crowded by strangers, but then there was the predicament of finding somewhere to eat her lunch. She remembered Mike's offer, but maybe he'd just been being polite. Besides, Lauren didn't seem too pleased at the idea of Bella actually joining them, and Bella didn't want to step on toes so soon.

So she slowly followed along the buffet line, grabbing a few things she wasn't actually interested in, and found a lone table in the corner of the room by the door. She pulled out her phone, glancing over a couple more texts from Jake, and dozens from her mother. Renee liked to... talk, and be involved, and Bella sighed.

Trays dropped onto the table around her and Bella almost jumped out of her skin. She looked up with wide eyes, taking in two familiar faces, and a couple she hadn't seen before. Mike slid into the chair next to hers, offering her a bright smile. "Hey, Bella."

"Mike," she greeted, glancing nervously to her other side and the chair pulling up. "Lauren."

Lauren eyed Bella before getting to her lunch. "Swan."

"So, introductions!" Mike said hastily, pointing around the table at the new faces. "This is Ben," the boy gave Bella a nod, "Angela," she murmured her own greeting with a polite smile, "Tyler," he didn't seem to mind her awkwardness as she reciprocated his fistbump, "and Eric."

The boy, Eric, perked up eagerly. "Eric Yorkie, to be precise," he said, holding out his hand to shake. She did so reluctantly. "It's such a pleasure to meet you, Bella, everyone's been talking about you all morning."

"Yorkie," Mike snapped quietly with a frown on his face. "Control yourself, you're gonna start drooling. They might have mentioned you in passing, but it's just because you're new, Bella. It'll calm down in a couple days," he said, noticing Bella's nervousness.

Lauren shifted in her seat, a smirk tugging at her lips. "Yeah, Swan, you'll just be another drop in the sea of nobodies soon enough."

"I don't know if you're trying to be bitchy, but that's more comforting than you know," Bella bit back at her, leaning back in her seat.

The two held each other's gaze while Mike laughed awkwardly again and Bella got the feeling that he often had to apologize for her. Finally, Lauren blinked and her smirk melted into a more genuine smile. "I always aim to comfort," she murmured sarcastically.

A couple people chuckled around the table and Bella felt herself relax. This wasn't so bad, talking to people in a group. She didn't solely bear the pressure of keeping the conversation afloat, and she could just ease into the background of the chatting. Which she did happily for most of lunch, so long, in fact, that they didn't even seem to notice she hadn't said a word since their greetings.

Like, she had a cherry sucker in her mouth, eyes glued to her cellphone screen. She couldn't be more obviously out of the conversation, but they just kept yammering away and Bella happily had her own silent conversation with Jake. He was trying his best to fill her in on the happenings down on the Res since she'd been gone.

Eventually all good things must come to an end, as they say, and Bella felt a particularly strong gaze burning holes in the side of her face. Shifting the cherry sucker to her other cheek -they really were her favourite, it wasn't often she was caught without one- Bella glanced around the cafeteria, searching for the eyes that were still on her. The sensation stopped but Bella kept looking, taking in the entire cafeteria.

Her breath caught in her throat for the second time that day, and Bella let her phone fall to her lap silently, turning in her chair to get a better look. A better look at the table of supermodels because _holy shit_ , those people were beautiful. No surprise the girl from History sat with them.

Seven of them, altogether, sat around one of the larger tables in the back corner of the room. They all had pitiful lunches sat on the table in front of them, but no one was even picking at their food.

"Well that didn't take long," Lauren scoffed, glancing up from her own phone. "See you've spotted the Cullens."

Slightly annoyed, Bella looked around her own table again. "I suppose? Who are the Cullens?"

Angela looked across the room to their table and back, a light blush on her face. "Um, those are the Cullens. They moved here just a couple months before you, at the beginning of the year. They're all gorgeous, brilliant, and anti-social. They mostly keep to themselves-"

"Because they're weird," Eric chirped in, leaning forward on the table towards Bella. "They don't talk to the other kids, they walk around here like nobody can touch them because the teachers leave them alone, and they all date each other. It's really weird."

Tyler barked out a laugh. "Someone's just sour because Jessica's taken and turned him down."

"Are you saying they're not friggin weirdos then?"

He looked across, much like Angela had, and back. "Well yeah, they're weird but harmless enough. They really do pretty much ignore the rest of us, so what's the big deal."

Watching the table break down into arguments over what was and was not weird about the Cullens, and how it mattered to each of them, Bella sighed. She looked back to the table that seemed even stiffer than before and wondered why nobody was talking to each other over there.

Mike scooted his chair closer to lower his voice, helpfully filling Bella in on the information she'd actually wanted. "They're not so bad, ignore those guys. Jealousy does things to people and obviously, you can see how beautiful they all are. They also _always_ get straight A's, Edward and Jasper there compose _masterpieces_ in music, and Alice's art is stunning, her photography is simply amazing. They're just... perfect, but, I mean, perfect isn't real, you know? So it creeps some people out."

"Do you know any of them?" Bella asked, looking over her shoulder back at Mike. Thankfully he seemed more interested in watching the Cullens to notice how close he'd gotten to her.

He shrugged a shoulder simply, glancing at his reflection in Bella's glasses. "Not personally, no. Nobody does." He looked down and smiled slightly. "But this _is_ a small town, and everybody knows everybody. So, lemme fill you in. See that huge, intimidating looking guy? That's Emmett, and he's dating the _bombshell_ ice queen, Rosalie. Victoria has the flaming red hair, and she's dating the other blonde guy who looks like he's always in pain. He's Jasper. Then there's Jessica, with the brown hair, and she's dating some guy named Wensley but he's older, like, mid-twenties and works at the local library. Scandalous, right? Hah. Then that leaves Edward, there with the bronze hair, and the little pixie is Alice. The only two single Cullens, but I think they prefer that? They turn everyone down when they're asked out."

"Big family," Bella murmured, and her brows tugged together. "Wait, family and dating? They don't look alike. Well, the blondes do, same with Emmett and Jessica maybe." Though that was mostly just hair colour, they didn't _actually_ look alike at all.

Mike nodded, leaning back into his chair to get more comfortable. He sipped at his juice box and caught Bella's eye, or gaze rather as he couldn't actually see her eyes. "Adopted. Doctor and Mrs Cullen started adopting when they found out Mrs Cullen couldn't have kids or something like that. Kinda sad, but good for these guys. I think Rosalie and Jasper actually _are_ related, twins or something, but nobody else is. It's still pretty weird that they're all dating each other, but I guess it isn't actually gross."

"Speak for yourself," Ben scoffed. He looked around the table and shrugged. "What? They were all raised together, they _live_ together. They're siblings, okay, and you don't date your siblings. Am I wrong?"

Nobody agreed or disagreed, and Bella got the feeling people were often torn on their feelings of the Cullens. She hummed, looking back over to the table once more, and was surprised to find a golden gaze looking back at her. There was a nagging feeling in the back of her head, some sense of recognition or familiarity, but Bella was too stunned to think about it.

Beautiful. How were they all so beautiful, and how did they all have the same eyes?

There was something different about this one, something different in that golden gaze. Her hair was dark as ink, cut short and styled in perfect chaos, her features small and soft, and Mike's description as a pixie was wildly accurate. She was tiny, she had to _barely_ be five feet tall, even with her heels. The thing that struck Bella most, however, was the way she was watching her. Bella knew that nobody could see her eyes, but this chick was staring _directly_ into them. Their gazes were locked and the rest of the cafeteria was fading away.

Alice Cullen.

"So what's with the glasses, Bella?"

She was poked in the side and jumped slightly, breaking eye contact to look back at her own table. The others were all watching her with varying levels of intrigue, and when Bella glanced back to the Cullens, Alice was talking with Jasper. Bella sighed.

"Tyler, you can't just _ask_ her that!" Mike hissed.

The boy threw his arms up. "What? What's wrong with that? I don't know why we were told not to ask her, they're just sunglasses!"

"I get headaches," Bella finally replied, grabbing her phone again. Jacob had sent her an essay; that boy could talk! "It's a pretty weak word for what I get, actually. They're... bad, and the light can trigger them. So I always wear sunglasses so things aren't as bright."

"That must suck," Lauren said quietly, with a surprising amount of sympathy. Bella looked at her curiously. "My mum used to get migraines all the time before she... well, they were bad too."

Bella's gut churned. "I'm sorry."

"See?" Tyler said, ignorant of the moment he ruined. Bella thought, perhaps, she and Lauren might have bonded there. "Told you guys she didn't have disfigured eyes."

"What?!" Bella gasped, looking up suddenly.

The boy shrugged. "There were a couple rumours going around this morning, some of them were pretty dumb. Like, who said she was blind? Was that Stacy? And Mark said that you were attacked by wild dogs and they tried to gouge out your eyes or some shit."

"Are you..." Bella shook her head. "You know what? I'm not even gonna touch that." She glanced down at her phone, reading Jacob's name over and over again until her heart stopped stuttering. Disfigured eyes? Already there were stories about her? No, just... curiosity. It wouldn't be like Phoenix, it wouldn't. "Actually, I think I'm gonna go find my next class, get there early to talk to the teacher. Thanks for letting me sit with you guys."

Mike's face was slightly pouty but his eyes were concerned when Bella stood up to gather her things. "Are you sure? Do you want me to walk you there?"

"She's not an infant, Michael," Lauren muttered with a roll of her eyes. Hard eyes that landed on Bella and though they didn't soften, not even a little, they weren't... malicious like Bella had been expecting. "Are you, Swan?"

A smile hooked onto her face. "Well if I am, my mother must hate all five foot eight inches of me, and I couldn't blame her."

"So big she'd need a C, D, _and_ E section to pop you out!" Tyler crowed, howling with laughter.

With one last wave to her... friends? Were they? With one last wave, Bella dumped her tray in the garbage and headed out into the brisk afternoon.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

Turns out Forks had three classes in the morning, _and_ three after lunch, yet they still switched every other day. Math right after lunch was a tad boring but she was thankful for that because her second last class of the day was Chemistry and you were forced into partners. The chances of her risking garlic breath just for a tasty lunch were slim, but still, it gave her time to prepare.

Which she was so thankful for because as she walked into the room, she noticed the only free seat was next to yet another Cullen. "Ah, you must be Isabella Swan, our new student!" the teacher declared, happily ushering her inside. "Just in time! Most students are late their first day. Let's see, oh, you're finally evening us out. Yes, we have one free seat just in the back there, next to Mr Cullen. Edward, be a lad and raise your hand, this is your new partner."

A pale hand slowly rose and Bella clenched her jaw, meeting another pair of golden eyes. Somehow less striking than the pixie's, even if they were the same. Same colour, at least. There was definitely something... sadder about these eyes. Bella slowly slid onto the stool next to the beautiful boy, setting her notebook on the table in front of her. "Hi."

"Edward Cullen," he greeted with a charmingly crooked smile on his face. A smile that still didn't quite reach his eyes, but polite nonetheless. "Pleasure to meet you."

She tried not to flinch at how cold his hand was and, embarrassingly, covered it with both of hers, if only to warm it a little. Edward glanced down at their clasped hands, raised a brow, and looked back up at her. "Bella Swan!" she blurted out.

He chuckled lightly when she yanked her hands back and turned to the front, staring hard at the chalkboard.

 _Well. Here I thought I was a semi-intelligent girl, unaffected by such superficial things like beauty. Nope, just another mindless, drooling bag of hormones._

Despite knowing she shouldn't, she should just focus on the class, ignore him, and let it go, Bella turned back to him sharply. The need to clarify herself was powerful and in her panicked mind, it was the perfect solution. "That's not because you're pretty, to be clear. I'm awkward, and even if you were grotesque I would still make a fool out of myself."

Finally, those eyes lit up and Edward actually tossed his head back to bark out a surprised laugh. One that shocked the rest of the classroom, to see the normally stoic, broody boy chortling to himself. He pressed his lips together in an attempt to stop, though his chest still shook with silent laughter. Eventually the teacher gained everyone's attention back and continued his lesson.

Edward glanced back down at Bella, who was chewing on her lip and taking distracted notes. "You think I'm pretty."

His voice was low, quiet, and the chances of anyone actually hearing him, besides Bella herself, were slim, but she still looked around the room quickly. "Not... I didn't mean... your family _is_ aesthetically pleasing to the eye, yes."

"Thank you." He inclined his head graciously. "Though I feel the need to dissuade you from pursuit to save yourself any future hurt." At her confused look, Edward frowned slightly and lowered his voice even more. "I am uninterested in anything beyond friendship."

A scoff mixed with an indignant huff forced its way from Bella without grace. "Listen, pal, you're really not my type," she said, a little more loudly than she meant to. The table in front of her turned around to give her an incredulous look, but one stormy scowl from Edward had them turning back to the front again. "I can find you attractive and nothing more. Just because you're pretty, doesn't mean I'm going to _pursue_ you or something. Ego, much?"

"I didn't mean to offend you-"

"Believe me, you didn't!" Bella snapped quietly. She sighed, glancing back at Edward and felt a little guilty. The boy looked distressed like he genuinely felt bad that he might have hurt her. She rolled her eyes, the action always lost on its victim. "You really didn't, Edward. I was serious when I said you aren't my type. I'm not offended, I'm just a little embarrassed that you mistook my intentions."

He ducked his head. "Forgive me. I spend most of my conversations with the other students trying to let them down as gently as I can. I have become more blunt over the years, it would seem."

"Teenagers are dumb," Bella agreed with a lighthearted grin. "Some need beating off with a stick, can't blame you for that."

"As you say," he murmured with a small smile. His eyes were thoughtful and he discreetly watched Bella, curious as to what was going on inside, even as she focussed on the teacher and her notes once more. "Perhaps she was right after all."

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

She sat on the bench in the back corner of the girls' change rooms, her sneakers propped up on the ledge, resting her chin on her knees while she stared at her toes. Awkward. People really didn't get just how awkward she was, or at least, how she felt. She was _not_ getting naked in front of the others, and she was _not_ going to watch them do the same. So she waited, and waited, and wondered why. _Why_ do girls take so long getting changed? Why do they prance around talking to each other half naked? Why not just change and leave like everyone else?

Eventually, the locker room emptied and Bella was left alone in the quiet white. She eyed the gym uniform with distaste, but was thankful she'd managed to swipe a pair of the boys' shorts. Much longer, baggier, she wouldn't feel so exposed in the short-shorts the girls wore. Which was kinda messed up when she thought about it. These girls were underage, why was the uniform so exposing?

Tugging at the collar of the grey t-shirt, Bella left the change room and entered the gym. Looked like everyone was doing a jogging warm up and she let a sigh heave her shoulders.

"Not a fan of gym?"

Bella prayed it was the sneakers that squeaked on the gym floor and not her that made the noise, whirling around to face her intruder. "Me?" she gasped, face getting warm.

Golden eyes pinned her to the spot, almost hidden behind dark spikes of hair. Alice smiled brightly, flashing a set of perfectly white, perfectly straight teeth. Ones that made the hairs on the back of Bella's neck stand, for the second time that day. What was it about these Cullens that made her... unsettled? Not necessarily a negative reaction, but a reaction nonetheless.

Alice shook her head, those ink black spikes bouncing in a rather mesmerizing way. "No, I'm speaking to the seven-foot neanderthal behind you."

"Uh." Despite recognizing the sarcasm, Bella still looked over her shoulder at the empty bleachers behind her. She clenched her jaw and tried to will the embarrassment away. Why was she acting like such a fool today? "Right. Me. Um, no, not a big fan of gym. Rather clumsy."

The amusement was clear on Alice's face when Bella turned back around, but without a hint of malice or sketchy undertones. She seemed genuinely pleased with the encounter so far, and that just confused Bella all the more. "So I've noticed," Alice agreed.

"Have you?"

Walking around Bella, though catching her eye and nodding towards the bleachers, Alice led them to the bottom step. She tucked her skirt and sat down on the edge, looking up at Bella innocently. "You are new and interesting, did you really think nobody would notice you? It's a small town."

"Think? No. Hoped, more like," Bella muttered, dropping down onto the bleacher. She noticed Alice bounce next to her slightly. _My God, she's tiny._ "You're Alice, right?"

The pixie had been staring at her, obviously, when Bella glanced down towards her again. That unreadable expression on her face, that breathtaking intensity in her eyes again. The corner of her lip was caught up between her teeth, and if Bella didn't know any better, she'd say Alice looked nervous. Of course, all of this shifted in a second. In the blink of an eye, Alice was bright smiles and sparkling, mischievous eyes. "Alice Cullen, yes, that would be me."

"Are you not going to change for gym, Alice?" Bella questioned, looking down at the pixie's heels and skirt. Definitely not appropriate attire for gym.

Alice hummed, her golden eyes sweeping across the room. "I don't think so, not today. I think I'll head home early."

"I thought gym was mandatory." _If it isn't, what the fuck am I doing here?_

She nodded. "It is."

"But you're... skipping?"

"I am."

Bella's bottom lip jutted out in a mild pout that Alice almost cooed at, but instead busied herself with her books. Bella huffed lightly, crossing her arms over her chest, and looked to Coach Clapp across the room. "Won't you get in trouble?"

"Doubtful," Alice tilted her head to the side, "but possible. It's a risk I'm willing to take." She hummed again, this time her eyes skimming over Bella's face thoughtfully. Much like Edward had, like he was studying her. Come to think of it, all the Cullens Bella had interacted with today, they all looked like they were... intrigued, at the least. Alice's voice sounded different next, and Bella had a feeling she was talking about more than skipping gym. "I think it will be worth the risk in the end, though."

Without a hot clue as to what she meant, or what she was talking about, Bella could only helpfully shrug her shoulders. "My mom always says _you can learn to live with regrets, but the what ifs will always haunt you._ At least with a leap of faith, you're heading towards _something_ , you're not stuck."

"Wise words," Alice agreed quietly. She stood up to her feet, waiting for Bella to join her, just as the coach blew on his whistle. Her smile was brilliant, full of joy and excitement, and left Bella winded. "You're not at all what I was expecting, Bella Swan. It was very nice to meet you."

Bella gave her a nod and a lopsided grin of her own. "Here's hoping you don't come to regret it," she shot back. Alice opened her mouth to insist she wouldn't when Bella beat her to it. "Doubtful? But possible."

Golden eyes danced and Bella's heart stuttered. " _Very_ nice to meet you."

Watching as Coach Clapp not only let Alice leave without a word, but held the door open for her, Bella let out a chuckle and shook her head. Forks might be a dreary, boring little town, but the Cullens were far more interesting than she'd have thought.

 **.**

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 **Yeah... so I caved. In my defense, that last one was pretty short. Review! Lemme know what you like, what you don't, what you want, what you'd rather not have, etc. Or just say hi. I'm cool with that too. But like, if you're gonna say hi, might as well comment while you're there, right? Winkwink, nudgenudge?**

 **Peace!**

 **paige**


	4. Chapter 4

**CULLEN FAMILY** : Esme and Carlisle. Rosalie and Emmett. Jasper and Victoria. Edward. Alice. Wensley and Jessica.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Twilight.

 **Rated:** T.

 **Author:** xPaige Turnerx

 **Summary:** COMPLETED AND WAITING TO POST. "Trust me, dating a vampire and having a wolf for a brother are the LEAST complicated aspects of my life. Every now and then my nose reenacts the elevator scene from The Shining, and I randomly wake up in the woods. Normal was shot to Hell a long time ago."

" _At the center of your being_

 _you have the answer;_

 _you know who you are_

 _you know what you want."_

 _-Lao Tzu_

Why did florescent lights hum? Or was it just hospital waiting rooms? Either way, it was doing nothing to help the aching throb in Bella's head **.**

She groaned, holding the frozen bag of peas tighter against her forehead. Well, they'd been frozen at one point. Now they were mostly just cool. Bella sighed deeply, forcing her mouth to form words past the pain in her head. "Dad, this isn't necessary!"

"Like hell it ain't," he all but growled. He was still pacing back and forth, muttering about how long the Chief of Police had to wait, even if it _was_ for Doctor Cullen. Bella had perked up then, curious about meeting yet another Cullen. "They were never this bad before. Does Renee know how they've gotten? Did she take you to doctors in Phoenix?"

Bella leant her head back against the wall, letting the bag of peas just sit on her forehead. "Yeah, she knows. I told you already, dad, this is normal. They're worse but they're not as often anymore. Still balanced. We don't need to waste Doctor Cullen's time."

"Say that to this, Bells!" Charlie waved around the bloody shirt in his hand. It was the closest thing he could grab when Bella collapsed in the living room, writhing in agony with blood streaming from her nose. How could that possibly be normal? He'd never forgotten about his daughter's headaches -how could he? Why did an innocent child need to suffer so?- but this was... this was different. This was more than a headache. Something was really, really wrong with his daughter and he needed to fix it. "The doc, he's a smart man. Brilliant. He'll know what to do, maybe he can even stop it."

Torn between her curiosity to know more about the Cullens, even this doctor one, and her need for privacy and deep hatred of hospitals, Bella could only sit there and watch her father pace. She shook her head, groaning at the fresh wave of dizzying pain. "We've been through this all so many times before, dad. I've had every test and every scan out there. There's nothing physically wrong with me." Weird, considering her eyes, but whatever. A _cosmetic defect_ according to one of her first doctors. "No physical or lasting trauma. They're just bad headaches."

"Then why are you bleeding?" Charlie almost whimpered. His eyes were red and a little puffy, but he'd held back the tears. It was the hardest thing he'd ever done and ever would do; watching his daughter suffer, unable to help her.

She shrugged a shoulder, the bag of warm peas long forgotten now. "Does it matter, in the end?" She sighed, rubbing her forehead and glanced around the waiting room again. Only a nurse, dutifully ignoring them and giving them as much privacy as she could, after informing the doctor he was required. Speaking of which... "So what's this doctor like?"

"Who? Cullen?" Charlie asked, finally dropping into the seat across from her. He draped the bloody shirt over his lap, holding his head in his hands. "Decent fella, I s'pose. Treats everyone alike, takes care of those who can't always afford his services. Wicked smart, we've called him in on a couple cases over the months now. Respectful and deserving of respect, got it?"

"Hey, I'm always respectful!"

"To doctors?"

Her lips twitched into a frown. "Why do they always poke and prod?"

"Chief Swan, I came as soon as I was able to," a man said from the doors that swung open. Bella looked up, surprised and yet unsurprised at the beautiful man standing before her. So young, though, she'd been expecting someone much older, to have teenage kids. He had to be in his early thirties, there was no way he was older than thirty-five. His blonde hair was slicked back in a professional manner, and bright golden eyes full of compassion and concern. "This must be your daughter, Isabella?"

Charlie jumped to his feet, ushering Bella over to the good doctor. "Yeah, this is my kid. You got her papers, right?"

"Of course." Doctor Cullen inclined his head, though his kind eyes remained on Bella. He held out his hand for her to shake, squinting to try and, unsuccessfully, see past her dark glasses. "I am Carlisle Cullen, it is wonderful to finally meet you, Isabella."

With minor hesitation, Bella took his hand. She didn't flinch as bad this time when his skin was noticeably cold, and thank God she didn't try to warm it up like she'd done with Edward. "Calling me Bella's fine, doc."

"As is Carlisle," he smiled gently, "now I hear you suffer migraines, but I see your father has brought a bloody shirt?"

Charlie jerked into action again, waving the shirt around in the air. Bella noticed Carlisle take a subtle step backwards and all but yanked the shirt from her father. "So unsanitary, dad!"

"He's a doctor, he's used to it!" Charlie huffed. "She's had headaches all her life. Used to get a handful of them a day when she was a kid. Had fourteen in one day once. Took her to dozens and dozens of doctors, but they all said the same thing. There was no physical cause for her headaches and no lasting trauma. They prescribed meds for the pain, but basically told us to pound it up our-"

"Dad!"

"Ehm," he coughed, scratching the back of his neck, "I mean, just that there wasn't anything else they could do for her. We, uh, we thought puberty helped for a while there. The headaches tapered off, she'll get one every couple of days, but they're... they're so much worse now. She's collapsing, sometimes she passes out, and tonight she just – she wouldn't stop bleeding!"

Carlisle studied Bella's face intently, taking the shirt from her hands. He took in how much blood it was covered in -an alarming amount for a simple headache, not that there should be any- and hummed under his breath. "I see. Your file says that the light bothers you, triggers these headaches sometimes."

"Well-"

Bella dug her elbow into her father's side, watching him hiss in pain as they followed Carlisle down the hallway. "Yeah, mostly, but uh..." She gave her father a look and motioned to her eyes. He frowned deeply at her, jerking his head towards Carlisle's back. She shook her own. "I usually get them at night the past couple years, usually when I'm sleeping. I'll wake up from the pain, wait for it to fade, and eventually fall back asleep. In my dark, dark room."

His office was smaller than Bella expected, but the walls were absolutely lined with books, and she found that fitting. He set the shirt on his desk and searched through the drawers for something, before turning back to the two of them. "Would you mind removing your glasses, please?"

Noticeably stiff, Bella glanced at her father. He nodded, his face pleading, and Bella sighed deeply. She clenched her jaw, hoping and praying, _desperately_ , that her eyes would remain one colour, one normal colour, while Carlisle looked at them. With even more hesitance, Bella's hand rose to her face, and she slid the shades up into her hair.

Charlie let out a small relieved sigh at the chocolate orbs staring back at him, mildly panicked. Carlisle smiled brightly. "She has your eyes, Chief."

Bella's stiff shoulders relaxed. "Mine are prettier," she bantered.

"Hah!" Charlie guffawed, crossing his arms over his chest. "You know, I've been told my eyes are soulful, Bells. _Soulful._ "

She rolled her own, taking in the satisfaction of people actually being able to appreciate the action. Carlisle chuckled lightly and turned on the little flashlight in his hand. "Alright, Bella, I'm just going to shine a light into your eyes so I can see the reaction myself. Ready?"

Hands clenched into fists inside her pockets. "I guess."

"You need not worry. If it triggers a headache, I have something here for the pain," he tried to comfort her. Carlisle leaned down, his face close to hers, and flashed the light into her eye. The pupil grew wide, taking up nearly her whole iris, before shrinking down to a pinpoint, as expected. He pulled the light away, watched the pupil grow again, and did this a few times. "Very good, Bella, thank you."

When he placed the light back in his lab coat pocket, Bella quickly slid her glasses back down. "That all?"

"I would like to run a few tests if that's alright, and a couple of my own scans, and then we can-"

"No!" Bella all but shouted. She wildly shook her head, gaining more confidence in the lack of pain, and backed towards the door. "No, no. I'm done with the tests. I spent more than half my childhood getting _tests_ and _scans_ that _always_ said the same thing. Dad, I'm sorry I scared you but honestly, that wasn't a bad headache. I've had worse. And Doctor Cullen, I'm sorry to have wasted your time. Can we please leave? I have school in the morning."

Charlie frowned, running his hand through his hair. "Bella, don't be stubborn. The doc can help you if you let him. These aren't normal."

"I said no," Bella shot back, hands in her pockets. "I'm eighteen, legally an adult, so it's my choice."

Helplessly looking to Carlisle, Charlie gaped at his daughter. Carlisle leant back against his desk and lightly shook his head. "She is correct, Chief Swan, it is her choice to make. It is her body and her right. That being said, Bella, my professional advice is to take the tests and scans. I know they are tedious, but I would very much like to help you. You've made a... lasting impression on two of my children, and I would feel terrible if something were to happen to you."

The pixie's face came to mind, her sparkling eyes and brilliant smile, the joyful and energetic aura she carried. Guilt clutched at Bella's heart, oddly enough, and she didn't know why. "I'll take it under advisement," Bella ground out through clenched teeth. "But for now I'd just like to get some sleep before school."

With a deep sigh, Charlie wrapped his arm around her shoulders and nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, we can do that. Thanks for your time, doc, I really appreciate it."

"Anytime, Chief. I'm always happy to lend a hand."

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

There really wasn't a single thing that a cherry sucker couldn't make ten times better, even sucky situations like Bella often found herself in. She shifted the candy around in her mouth, staring at her phone on the dashboard next to her, contemplating whether or not she should call Jake. Her eyes travelled back to the driver's side window and Mike's red, straining face as the boy pulled on the door as hard as he could.

So Buggy's body was in a little worse condition than she originally thought, and _some_ hinges were rather rusty. Which led to complications like... doors not opening without mighty force. Mighty force that, to Michael's growing horror and embarrassment, he did not have.

Bringing her boots up to the metal of the door inside, Bella decided enough was enough. She'd noticed the flashy Volvo and impressive hummer pull into the parking lot, and now knew just who they belonged to. She really didn't feel like making a fool out of herself in front of the Cullens so soon in the morning. With that in mind, she gave the door a solid stomp with both feet.

Mike went tumbling backwards as the door finally flung open.

To be honest, Bella was surprised he hadn't jumped right back up to help her out of the car. Not that she was expecting that, or rather, _wanting_ that, but it really seemed like something he would do. Instead, an incredibly pale hand was waiting for her. Curious, Bella grabbed her phone, her bag, and slid her hand into a smaller, slender one.

Alice guided her out of the car more gracefully than Bella would have thought, and she fought back the blush. She could see Mike gaping at them from the ground, and a couple students nearby looking at them oddly. The infamous Cullens, usually keeping to themselves and ignoring everyone else, were noticeably taking an interest in Isabella Swan.

"Thanks," Bella breathed, wondering where all her air had gone.

The pixie curtsied with a wicked grin, leaning around Bella to close the door once more. "My pleasure," she replied in her high, bell-like voice. "Would you mind if I walked you to your first class?"

"Guess not." Bella shrugged. "Is there something I can do for you?"

They began their trek towards one of the farther buildings, Alice skillfully ignoring all the kids staring at them, whispering about them, while Bella struggled to walk like a normal person. "I'm sure there are a great many things you could do for me, Bella, but nothing pressing at this moment." Weird, but honest. Bella could get on board with that, so she silently followed along. Alice glanced up at her now and then with those big golden eyes, and Bella suspected she was trying to get a peek at her own eyes beneath the reflective shades. Most people tried eventually, always unsuccessfully. They were custom made and curved around the edge of her eyes for that very purpose. "How do you like Forks, so far?"

Bella jumped slightly at the sudden question, her brows furrowing. "It's alright. Better than Phoenix, even if I miss the sun."

"Do you?"

"Yeah." Bella nodded, grabbing the strap of her bag across her chest and looked up at the grey sky. "I miss napping in the sun. I _hated_ waking up from actual sleep in it, so bright and in your eyes when you're just trying to sleep in, but my mom used to have this little window cove. It was on the top floor, in the attic, where she did her painting, and I would sit in there and just watch her for hours. Falling asleep in that little cove, with the warmth of the sun beating down on my skin, it was... serene."

Alice's smile was small, gentle... intimate? No, Bella shook her head and looked away. "That sounds lovely."

"Yup," she cleared her throat awkwardly, "what about you? How do you like Forks?"

This time Alice laughed, spinning mid-step with her arms up as if to showcase Forks itself. Graceful, like a ballerina. "I can safely say, it's turning out to be one of my favourite moves. My family travels a lot, I've been all over the world."

"You've been all over the world, and _Forks_ is turning into one of your favourites?" Bella echoed with wide eyes. "Simple, dreary little Forks?"

Alice had a coy look on her face, batting her eyelashes at Bella. "It has redeeming qualities."

"Such as?" she scoffed.

"The people."

Bella frowned. "No offence, but the people in Forks either ignore your family or..." her words died out, unable to finish a sentence that would, probably, hurt or offend Alice.

Seeming to follow along anyway, Alice nodded. "True, but not all of them. Not you." She hummed, giving Bella a thoughtful look again, one the Cullens always seemed to be giving her. "Why not?"

"I don't know?" Bella said, but it came out more like a question. She lifted and dropped her shoulders in a shrug. "This is my second day, I think I'm fairly neutral on all fronts."

Alice scoffed with a twinge of frustration. "You are definitely hard to see, to read," she agreed. "Tricky, confusing, but I think I'm getting a handle on it. Not like the others, but then you're not like the others, are you?"

Well, this was just getting more and more confusing. Alice was... odd. Bella could see where all the whispers, rumours, and general attitudes towards her from all the others were coming from. Still, she couldn't deny that it was pleasant. There was definitely something about Alice, about her and her _oddness,_ that Bella genuinely liked. "I try my best not to be," she replied. Alice glanced up at her again, and something in her chest fluttered. "Actually, I try my best to be _just_ like everyone else."

"Why?"

Alice had asked so quietly, so honestly, Bella could not lie. "Because I'm not."

"I'm glad you're not, Bella." The pixie grabbed Bella's hand, squeezing it gently, never breaking eye contact as they stopped outside the History room. "I..."

A shadow fell over the two of them, Alice's golden eyes glancing over Bella's shoulder. She huffed, her lip jutting out in a pout, and dropped Bella's hand to put her own on her hips. "Alice, what are you doing here?" a new voice asked.

"Walking my friend to class, Jess."

Jessica walked around Bella to place her hand on Alice's shoulder, the two sisters exchanging looks. Bella wasn't totally sure, as she glanced into the classroom right at that moment, but she swore she saw their lips moving. When she looked back, both of them were looking at her. Alice with frustration and Jessica with a wide smile. "Hello, Isabella. I'm Jessica."

"Bella is fine," she said, once again grabbing a cold hand to shake. Why did all the Cullens always want to shake hands? What was this, nineteen fifty? "I should probably head inside, I didn't finish all the homework last night."

The taller Cullen perked up. "You could sit with me, I could help you!"

Alice shot daggers at her sister, much to Bella's amusement. "It's a little rude to assume she needs help with her work, Jessica."

"Hey, the way I hear it, you Cullens are geniuses," Bella held up her hands, "I'm not saying no to that."

Boldly, Jessica sidled up to Bella's side, hooking her arm with the human's. She flashed Alice a cocky smile, and could hear how tightly the pixie was clenching her jaw. "Good, I can finally have you to myself. First Edward, then Alice, now I get a turn."

Embarrassingly, Bella's face flushed even though she knew how innocent those words were meant to be. "O-oh," she stuttered, looking at both of them. Her heart stuttered this time at the usually golden, but suddenly burning amber eyes staring back at her. "Um, thank you for walking me to class, Alice."

Blinking and breaking the suddenly heavy atmosphere, Alice smiled again. This one a little more strained. "No problem, Bella. See you later."

"Have fun in class, dear sister of mine!" Jessica called down the hallway after her, the two of them sharing a laugh as Alice's farewell of wiggling fingers faded into just the middle finger for her sister. Jessica glanced over at Bella and gave her a wink. "Now, let's go chat."

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

Jessica could talk. She could talk, and talk, and talk, and before Bella knew it, the end of class had arrived. Not that it was a bad thing. On the contrary, Bella really appreciated people who could talk as much as Jessica could, because Bella could _not_. Jessica was happy to carry the conversation, and Bella was content to listen. Surprisingly, however, the girl did not say much about herself or her family, much to Bella's disappointment. For someone who could talk so much, she was rather private.

Still, Bella left the whole encounter fond of yet another Cullen. Flabberghasted that anyone in this town could possibly _not_ like them. And eagerly awaiting her next encounter with them.

Her new set of classes flew by, her mind drifting back to the smallest Cullen, and she couldn't really say why. She didn't know what it was about Alice that captured her so, how the pixie always managed to find her way into the depths of Bella's thoughts. She struggled to focus on her work, and soon enough lunch had rolled around.

Head ducked, eyes glued to her phone, Bella blindly followed Mike through the halls towards the cafeteria. He was yammering on and on about some dance coming up, and Bella had immediately tuned out. She was _not_ partaking in such a cliche high school event. She just wasn't, not happening.

The rest of the table seemed interested in further discussing this dance, so Bella happily tuned them out as well. She took her seat next to Mike and Lauren, giving them each a brief smile, before kicking her boots up onto the back of Tyler's chair. He seemed more content to lean on the table and get in everyone's face to speak, and Bella never was one to pass up an opportunity.

 **Call: Jake**

 **Sounds dull, B. But what can you expect from a bunch of Forkians like that. Come down to the res this weekend, let me remind you why this is where it's at, where you belong. We'll have a big party and a fire. Reintroduce you to some of the guys. Don't make me cross over to drag you back here. ;)**

Bella chuckled and rolled her eyes. _If I must, I must._ She quickly sent off her reply, just as the cafeteria door swung open.

The Cullens, in all their glory, trailed in and Bella noticed how conversation naturally paused or quieted at their entrance. She could now understand the intrigue that the Cullens garnered, but all those nasty looks? The whispers? It still made no sense. How could anyone not find it endearing when Alice literally _twirled_ to their table in the back?

"Weirdos," Eric scoffed under his breath, and yet was leaning his chair back as far as he could to watch Rosalie and Victoria go by.

Rolling her eyes, Bella sat up to kick her foot under the table, knocking one of his chair legs back. The sudden jolt sent him toppling to the ground on the other side of the table and had a few kids around the cafeteria snickering. He jumped up to his feet with a red face and sat back down quickly. "Chairs are for sitting, Eric," she said in a sickly sweet voice with a wicked smirk.

"Oh." He looked around the table nervously and then down to his plate. "Hah, yeah. Good one, Bella."

Unable to stop her eyes, not that she fought it too hard, Bella looked across the room to where the Cullens were sat yesterday. All there, all talking to one another, except for Alice. She had a wide grin on her face, her eyes dancing with mirth. As if she knew what Bella did. Impossible, Bella knew; Alice had been across the room and faced the other way, and there was no way she heard Bella. Still, the pixie offered Bella a little wave.

And Bella was about to return it when the giant, Emmett she believed his name was, caught Alice and grinned. He sat up in his seat, met Bella's gaze, and threw his large arm up in the air to wave madly at her. Mildly embarrassed for the poor girl, Bella watched Alice duck her head in her arms, and laughed to herself. She gave the friendly giant a two finger salute that seemed to excite him, before turning back to her own table.

All of which was staring at her like she'd grown another head. "What?" she asked when they said nothing but continued to stare. "Seriously, what? Is there something on my face? Is there an inbred psycho with chainsaws for hands standing behind me? Mike?"

The boy blinked a few times. "Nothing, no. You're just... awfully buddy-buddy with the Cullens, is all."

"Jealous?" Bella countered.

She watched his face go beet-red and immediately regretted it. Lauren pounced on this opportunity quickly, eager to poke at her friend. "Of Bella or of the Cullens, Michael?"

"Don't be a dick," Bella snapped at her. Mike muttered something about forgetting to grab a drink and scurried off to the buffet line. "Aren't you supposed to be his friend?"

"Fuck you, new girl," Lauren said with a snarl. "Don't presume to know me, to know Mike. You're _new_."

"Old enough to know you're an asshole," Bella shot back, stuffing her phone in her pocket. She glared the blonde down, even as the table got quiet. "I thought maybe you had a problem with me, but now I can see you treat everybody like that."

Lauren shoved her tray back, jabbing Bella in the chest. "You _don't_ know me, Swan. Mike is _my_ friend, _I've_ known him our whole lives. Don't think you can swoop in here, fuck things up, leaving him high and dry, all under the pretence of innocence. _Well I didn't know I was leading him on, I was just being nice."_

"What are you even talking about?!"

"That!" Lauren all but growled, pointing an accusing finger at Bella. "You've only been here two days and he's already fawning all over you, and you don't even notice! You're going to break him with a smile and walk out of his life like he means nothing to you because he doesn't. You don't know him. _I'm_ nipping that in the bud, _I'm_ forcing a confrontation now before it gets worse."

Bella shook her head, gathering her things and getting to her feet. Lauren was right on her tail. "We're just friends, Lauren. Bugger off."

"Tell him that then," she said. Behind the harsh words and hard mask, Bella could see the actual concern in those green eyes. _Was_ Lauren just being a bitch, or was she actually trying to help? "Lay it all in the open, spell it out for him, but _don't_ fucking ignore it. They never take the hint, and you're going to hurt him."

Of course she would, of course she would sit Mike down and explain it all to him. The last thing she wanted to do was hurt the boy, her new friend. But... "Why do you care?"

"He's my friend." Lauren looked back at the buffet line and the blonde boy choosing out his lunch. "He was there for me during a really shitty time in my life, and he's my best friend. I have his back."

A deep sigh heaved Bella's shoulders, and she scrubbed a hand down her suddenly tired face. "Okay. I'll get the point across, happy now? Leave me alone, Lauren." She caught the blonde's eye one last time before she was finally released, and kicked her way through the cafeteria doors. Instinctively her hands patted down pockets for a pack of smokes, but she'd promised Renee she'd give them up a while ago. Instead, she popped in a cherry sucker and stormed off to her next class. "Fucking high school drama."

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **What has two thumbs and a startling lack of self-control? This guy. But, I mean, someone helpfully pointed out that technically monday IS next week, so... ya know. In my defence, I read some stellar fanfiction that just got me pumped to post more and write more and just all around excited. Like, it's great guys. You should really go check out Wishing Upon A Black Star by Cloud Auditore Fair. The characterizations, the wit, the writing itself, everything is fantastic. **

**Right, so, this chapter. A little more insight into Bella's condition, we met Carlisle, got a better feel for the general attitude towards the Cullens the rest of Forks has. I know it seems kind of slow right now, but that's only because it picks up REAL fast soon. The relationships and bonds between characters, that is. The plot is more or less slow all the way to the end, but that's because this was never meant to be an actual story so much as a helpful tool to get me through writers block with other stories. It only vaguely gets plotty towards the end, and then earlier today I just had like an EXPLOSION OF PLOT SHIT IDEAS DUDES, so like. A sequel I guess, man.**

 **As always, I hope you enjoyed the update.**

 **Peace,**

 **Paige**


	5. Chapter 5

**CULLEN FAMILY** : Esme and Carlisle. Rosalie and Emmett. Jasper and Victoria. Edward. Alice. Wensley and Jessica.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Twilight.

 **Rated:** T.

 **Author:** xPaige Turnerx

 **Summary:** COMPLETED AND WAITING TO POST. "Trust me, dating a vampire and having a wolf for a brother are the LEAST complicated aspects of my life. Every now and then my nose reenacts the elevator scene from The Shining, and I randomly wake up in the woods. Normal was shot to Hell a long time ago."

" _At the center of your being_

 _you have the answer;_

 _you know who you are_

 _you know what you want."_

 _-Lao Tzu_

The rest of the week dragged on, the only time the days seemed to spur to life was when the Cullens were involved. Still having only conversed with three out of, what was it now, _ten_ Cullens, it seemed plenty. Alice was a handful, in and of herself, with cryptic answers to any question Bella worked up the nerve to ask, and downright confusing ones of her own. At least Bella always left a conversation smiling, sometimes breathless, sometimes with chest palpitations. Edward, though quiet, was turning out to be a good friend. He was very thoughtful and incredibly smart, and they always found their conversations both illuminating and engaging. He seemed eager to know what she thought of a great many things. Jessica was, by far, the easiest Cullen to be around, and Bella enjoyed the simplicity with which she could interact with her. The girl was just wildly accommodating.

Despite all this, there was something... different about the Cullens. No matter how close Bella got to them, a select few of them, they were still separate. She still felt like she was being kept at a distance, shut out. If she asked one too many questions, each Cullen would shut down, would withdraw back to themselves, and Bella wouldn't hear from them until the next day.

It was weird, but there wasn't much she could do about it, so life went on.

"I just," she chewed on her lip, eyes rolling up to the ceiling of the store, "I just don't understand _why_? You know?"

She could feel the hulking mass and heat rolling off him in waves as he came to stand next to her. Jacob scratched the top of his head, squinting down at the bag of marshmallows in Bella's hand, and up to the girl. "Eh, what'chu mean, brother?"

"Hm?" Bella jumped, looking up at her best friend in alarm. Had she said that aloud?! "Oh. These marshmallows. Brand names and no-names don't taste different, like, at _all_. I just don't understand how."

Those dark eyes crinkled in confusion but Jacob nodded anyway, his shoulders hunched together while he studied the bags of marshmallows that were causing such distress in his friend. Bella seemed distracted these days, always up in her head. "Yeah... yeah, it's weird. You wanna get both?"

Bella had insisted she was not showing up to the party or fire empty handed, and that she was going _something_. So he followed her to the grocery store, dragging his feet and trying to fight off boredom while he waited for her.

"Maybe," she muttered and looked back up at him. He was stretching his large arms overhead, looking up and down the aisles. It was obvious he'd rather be anywhere but there and she shook her head. "Jake, you wanna go pick up some of those rolls with the icing from the bakery? They were making them when we came in, some should be ready by now."

His face morphed into an eager grin. "Oh, I love those! Yes, thank you, Bella!"

"Such a child." She watched him run off down the aisle towards the other end of the store. "Now maybe I can focus and find the crackers for smores. Aha!"

Smores, Bella and Jake had learned from a young age, were more of an artform than a snack. Billy had taught them, thoroughly, during their many, many camping trips when they were younger. Each individual ingredient could, when just tossed together without care, overpower the rest of the snack. Apparently, kids these days had it much easier because there was one brand of cookies that came with the perfect ratio of chocolate to cracker, and all you had to do was stick in the marshmallow.

Wildly helpful, Bella decided, staring up at the top shelf of the aisle where the orange box sat. Bella was not a short girl, sure she wasn't overly tall, but she was definitely above average and didn't often have trouble reaching things. Regular things, that is. How Jacob _always_ thought it was funny she couldn't reach the big popcorn bowl down from above the cupboards was ridiculous, considering the last time she lived in Forks, neither could he. But whatever.

This aisle, however, was tall. Like, really tall, it surprised her. How often did employees have to reach things down for customers? She contemplated this while stepping up onto the bottom shelf, one hand gripping the top, the other keeping her balance on a box of Oreos. "They really wanna make you burn off those calories before putting them on, don't they?"

Her fingers brushed against the front of the orange box and Bella huffed, hoisting herself up on her tiptoes and stretching her arm as far as she could. _Disaster, this has disaster written all over it. Why am I up here?_ These thoughts ran through her mind just moments before it happened. Her fingers finally wrapped around the edge of the box, while the Oreos gave out under the weight and flopped down off the shelf. The instability sent Bella rocking backwards to the balls of her feet that were hanging off the ledge, and then she was airborne.

Considering she was a mere foot off the ground, she felt like everything happened in slow motion. Her arms flailing for the shelves as she fell backwards, half expecting Scar to be grinning at her from the top shelf and Simba's wail of despair off in the distance.

Much too quickly she stopped falling. Sudden and abrupt, suspended in the air by a pair of strong, yet _slender_ arms. And though it was ridiculous to think -the girl was tiny, there was no way she could actually catch Bella, and what would she be doing at the store anyway- Bella's immediate thought was, as always...

 _Alice!_

A pair of golden eyes did, in fact, meet her own but they didn't belong to whom she had hoped – _thought_ , whom she had thought. There was not that twinkle of... something more, like Alice's held.

Still, Bella awkwardly stared up into the most kind, sympathetic, and... _genuine_ face she'd ever seen. Carmel hair fell in waves around her shoulders, framing a heart-shaped face, and that same porcelain perfect looking skin Bella was getting accustomed to. Another impossibly beautiful Cullen, she knew without even having to ask. There was no way this wasn't, and in the back of her head, something didn't click. How could a family consisting of adopted genetic strangers, how could they _possibly_ share the same eye colour? The same beauty? The same... there was something so _similar_ about them all, something that was more than just skin deep, but Bella couldn't put her finger on it. She just knew it was there.

"Are you okay, honey?"

Such a smooth, gentle voice. Bella blinked a few times, still staring up at the woman who'd caught her. "Cullen?"

The woman's brows tugged together in slight confusion but those golden eyes crinkled with amusement, her lips curving up at the ends in a small smile. "Why yes, I am. Esme Cullen, to be exact."

"Sorry," Bella muttered, pulling herself out of the woman, Esme's, arms. She straightened her coat, tossing the cookies into her basket and finally looked back at Esme. The matriarch of the family was watching her with those kind eyes still. "Thanks for the rescue, I'm not usually so..."

"Reckless?" Esme supplied helpfully.

Bella shrugged but gave a nod. "I was gonna say dumb, but that works too. I just really wanted these cookies and you know how hard it is to fight a craving."

"I promise you, I do," she agreed, and once again Bella felt that familiar cryptic undertone. Like the woman meant more than what she was saying, that Bella was missing something. She was always missing _something_ when it came to the Cullens. "Are you alright, dear?"

Before Bella could do much of anything, never mind form a response that would put this woman at ease -she seemed fairly concerned about a total stranger, though perhaps her children mentioned Bella?- Bella felt a familiar heat roll over her. She looked up over her shoulder to see Jacob standing there, his shoulders trembling and the most _hostile_ glare she'd ever seen on his face. "What are you doing here?" he spat at Esme.

Looking up, Bella noticed that Esme had taken a few steps backwards, her hand on one of the shelves and those golden eyes pinned to Jake. They flickered at any movement he made. Something was off, but she was starting to get used to that, getting used to being out of the loop, and it was starting to bother her. "Jacob Black, that was so rude!"

"Hush, Bella, get back over here," he hissed under his breath, reaching for her as she took a step towards the Cullen. His dark eyes left Esme very briefly to give his best friend a pleading look. "C'mere!"

Bella's eyebrows rose as she tried to make sense of what happened. Why was Jacob acting so squirrely and why did Esme look mildly panicked? "I'm right here? Two feet away."

" _Here_ here!" Jake snapped, pointing beside him. "Get away from her!"

Again, she was hit by a wall of confusion, but it was quickly being overpowered by annoyance. "Seriously, cut that out, Jake. That's so rude. She just _saved_ me from probably breaking my neck. Apologize to her."

"Bella-"

" _Now!"_ Bella snapped, crossing her arms over her chest. She looked to her other side, at the kind woman who seemed torn on what to do. "I'm so sorry, Mrs Cullen, I don't know why he's acting like such an asshole."

Esme flinched and out the corner of Bella's eye, she could see Jacob had scrubbed a hand through his hair in frustration. "Bella, would you _please_ just get over here. Can we leave now? Please? Please?"

"Apologize and we'll all go on our merry way!" Bella said, her voice high and bewildered. What the _fuck_ was going on in this town?

"It's quite alright, honey, I don't want to keep you two from your plans," Esme said quietly.

Jacob stalked forward, the glare back on his face, and Esme shuffled backwards a few more steps. "Don't talk to her."

"Are you kidding me right now?" Bella stepped into his path, holding her hand up against his broad chest and effectively stopping him. "I will kick your ass up and down this aisle all the way to the frozen section if you don't apologize and stop being such a dick. I'm serious, Jacob. We're not leaving until you do."

The giant groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. The trembling in his shoulders was slowly working its way through the rest of his body, and he sucked in a deep breath to try and calm himself down. "Fine! Fine. I'm sorry. Bella, please, I'm _begging_ you, please can we go? Skip the snacks, I've got plenty, I just need to go home. I-I'm not feeling well."

"Is that why you're being such an ass?" Bella asked, this time a little more concerned. "I didn't want to say anything and worry you, but you're burning up, Jake. Are you sick?"

Looking like a lightbulb went off over his head, Jacob nodded fiercely. "Yes! Yes, I'm sick, Bells. I really need to leave, we both really need to leave. I just – I need some air. Can we please go now?"

"Sure," she murmured, setting the basket down. She didn't want to be one of those people to leave a full thing of groceries in one of the aisles for employees to put away, but Jacob was seriously burning up. Bella looked back to Esme who still hadn't moved an inch. "I'm really sorry, Mrs Cullen, he isn't usually like this. I think I should get him home."

She smiled, her lips tight and eyes still... quick. "I think that would be best. It was very nice to meet you, Bella."

"You too."

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

The car ride to the res was silent for the most part. Jacob had the window down, leaning his body against the door to catch some air, while Bella tried to decide if she was more upset with or concerned for her best friend. His actions in the store were unacceptable, but maybe understandable if he was really feeling that unwell.

It wasn't until they pulled up to a familiar old house, that faded red on the outside, with a warped porch she had spent so many summers on, that Jake finally spoke. "I'm sorry, Bella."

"You should be," she grumbled darkly, giving him a look he could not see past her glasses. "That apology isn't mine, you know."

His face twisted up again, much like it had in the aisle. "I won't apologize to _them_."

"You already did, you bastard!"

"Not sincerely!"

"You're such a child."

He heaved a sigh and got out of the car. "Not anymore."

"What's your problem with Mrs Cullen?" Bella asked over the top of Buggy. She could see her breath in the cold, wet air, and knew winter was just around the corner. Already her cheeks and nose were turning a charming rosy colour. "Did she kick your dog or something?"

Surprisingly, the chilly bite didn't seem to phase Jake. He stood there in a simple t-shirt and shorts, leaning against her car and staring at her with hard, dark eyes. "Something like that. Bella, I can't... there's something you should know."

"What?"

"I can't tell you."

She pushed off the car, turning to look back down the gravel road they came from, a scoff escaping her lips. "Oh, that's helpful. What am I missing, Jake? I feel like I'm being left out of some grand, universal joke and that everyone I know is in on it, laughing at me for being the only dumb fuck not to get it!"

When she looked back over her shoulder, Jake rested his chin on his arms, perched on the roof of Buggy. His face was open, worried, and full of regret. He looked more like the kid she used to know then and it did wonders to calm her down. "I'm sorry, Bella, but I can't say. I just can't, you gotta believe me."

"I do."

"Do you trust me?"

Surprisingly, there was no hesitance. "Yes."

"Good." Jake grinned at her, his smile happier than she'd seen in a while. "I need you to do me a favour then, and I know I'm asking a lot. You're not going to like it but I really, really need you to do it for me."

Suspicion arose and Bella crossed her arms over her chest. "What?"

"I need..." he chewed on his lip, "I need you to stay away from the Cullens."

"No."

" _What?"_

Bella lifted her chin, looking out into the trees behind him. "I said no. They're my friends."

" _I'm_ your friend!" he bellowed, storming around the car. "I'm your _best_ friend, I'm your _brother_!"

She tilted her head down, letting her glasses slide down her nose to reveal the coldest blue eyes he'd ever seen. They had him pausing, hesitating, faltering. "But you're not my keeper and I said no. End of discussion."

"Like hell it's the end!" Jake boomed, getting into her face. "Bella, you are _forbidden_ from-"

She jabbed her finger into his chest and he staggered back a step, rubbing the sore spot. "From what? Finish that sentence, Jake, I dare you. I _dare_ you to try and forbid me from _anything_! I am a person, you don't own me. I make my own choices, just as you make yours. Dumb ones, maybe, but still. Where is this coming from? You were never like this before, this is learned behaviour. Who has been forbidding you from things, who has been so controlling over you, you think you can control others?"

"Nobody!" he snapped. Wrong. This was wrong. This was not at all turning out how he had hoped. Jake ran a hand through his hair again, taking a few more steps back to clear his head. "I went about this the wrong way, Bella. I'm not trying to control you, I'm really not. I just... I know things about the Cullens. They're not good people, they might seem like it on the surface, but they're not. You must have noticed how the rest of Forks treats them, acts around them. It's not unwarranted. Bella, you know me. You _know_ me, so well. You know who I am, and you trust me. Right?"

"Yes." Again, she didn't miss a beat. "You are a good boy, Jake. You are kind and generous and loyal, I _do_ know that, which is why all of this doesn't make sense. The Cullens are good people too."

"They're not!" he insisted with wide eyes. "You just said that you trust me, you've said it twice now, and I'm _telling_ you that they aren't what they seem."

"What are they then?"

He groaned again, pressing the palms of his hands against his eyes. "I can't tell you!"

"Well what the fuck!" she growled at him. "You can't just do that."

Slowly, Jake reached out for her hand. He lifted the palm up, revealing her scar that matched his, and pressed his fingers to it. "This means something, Bella. You and me, to hell and back. Blood brothers, remember?" He looked up, watching her nod, and smiled. "Promise me you'll stay away from them. For this. For me."

"Jake..."

He gently squeezed her hand, his eyes beseeching. "Please, Bella. Trust me."

"Fine." Her gut churned painfully as she finally relented, flashes of golden eyes and pixie cuts in her mind until she shook it all away. "Fine, you jackass. I'll try my best to avoid the Cullens."

Sweeping her up in a giant hug, Jacob laughed joyously. "Thank you! Thank you, Bella!"

"Whoa, look what we have here, Embry!"

"Did we come at a bad time, Jake, or do you want us to circle the block?"

Two new booming voices made Bella jump in her friend's arms. She shuffled out of his grip to look around him at the guys standing by her car. Large guys, much like Jake, but mildly familiar. "No... little Quil and Embry? You guys shot up too?"

"Bella!" Quil cheered. In two quick strides, he scooped her up in his arms as well and swung her around. "You're so small now!"

Embry snaked his arms around her waist and grabbed her from Quil, and Bella was starting to feel much like a teddy bear. She was hugged against a rock hard chest, the air squeezed right out of her. "Nah, maybe you're just a giant doofus now, buddy."

"You're all giant doofuses now!" Bella grumbled playfully, wrestling her way out of everyone's arms. She adjusted her coat and smoothed out her hair, giving them all a little huff. "You don't _mash_ a lady."

Quil snorted. "I don't see no lady around here, just Jake's older brother. Just one of the guys, Bella, remember?"

"Yeah!" Embry nodded, his face still holding more of a baby look than the others. He slammed his fist against Jake's shoulder and pointed towards the woods down the road. "Earned that spot, like, ten years ago when she was the first of us to do cliff jumping."

Jacob scoffed. "By two seconds, and only because she pushed me back. I would have been first."

The memory was hazy, but Bella could remember the day. Sunny, which was rare for Forks, so she and the boys went off to play in the woods. They followed a group of older kids to watch them go cliff diving, and of course, _someone_ eventually dared someone else to do it too. Strictly forbidden by the parents, as they were all so young. Though she was good friends with Jake already, she still felt like an outsider to the other boys. Just a girl tagging along. So she told them she'd show them just what a girl was made of, and leapt off the cliff.

After that, the group had quickly assimilated her into their ranks. Speaking of which... "Where's Donovan, Rick, and Jackson?

Each boy had a wistful look of nostalgia on their face like they hadn't even thought of the other guys in years. Quil hummed, tapping his chin. "You know, I think I saw Donny working at the old Ma and Pa's store on the other end of the Res the other day. Don't know what the other two are up to these days."

"Pretty sure Jackson moved when his parents split, followed his mum up to Canada," Jake said. "They had family up there, right?"

Bella's brows furrowed. "What happened? You guys were thick as thieves."

The three all exchanged silent looks and Bella's good mood melted away. Something else she was missing. Something about the Cullens, and now something about the boys here on the Res. Great. "Destiny happened," Embry finally said with a wicked grin.

"Not a fan of destiny, then," Bella muttered. "Come on, I thought there was gonna be a fire and food. I'm starving!"

Everyone seemed to perk up at that and soon the four raced off through the field behind Jake's house, down towards the beach. Just like the good old days.

 **.**

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 **.**

The following Monday, after Bella managed to pull herself from the Res at the end of the weekend, was gonna be rough. Not only because she was _exhausted_ -had she even slept during the weekend at all, or had it really just been a party running straight through?- but because she knew what was to come. Stupid promises to stupid boys over stupid jealousies. She assumed, of course, because _nobody_ fucking told her anything these days, and what else would be reasonable -hah! She scoffed at the word- enough to forbid her like that?

So it was safe to say that her regular tolerable mood was effectively ruined that morning, and she really didn't feel like getting out of the car. The heaters were on full blast, keeping the wet chill at bay, with music blaring through the old stereo in hopes of tuning out the world. Bella rested her chin on the steering wheel and stared out at the parking lot in front of her.

She'd managed to sneak in a spot between the driveway and a beat up looking sedan, skillfully avoiding parking by the Cullens as she had come to do the previous week. Each morning she was greeted by either Jessica or Alice, often walked to her first class. Today, she watched the hummer and volvo pull into their usual spots, and the occupants hesitate inside.

 _Oh shit, they can still see me even if I'm not parked next to them._

Bella's eyes widened as she realized her predicament. Parking on the other side of the parking lot did not stop them from walking over and confronting her. It just made it super apparent that something was up. "Fuck me," she muttered and opened her door. Her eyes scanned the kids walking by and without thought -really, she couldn't _possibly_ emphasize just how little thought was behind this- she wrapped her arms around Lauren's waist and pulled her into the car.

"The fuck, Bella!" Lauren squealed, her back bouncing against the long seat in the front. Thank God it wasn't two separate ones like a normal car, thank God for Charlie's weird hipster mobile. Feet still sticking out the door, legs resting on Bella's lap, the blonde stared up at the ceiling of the car. For a heartbeat, nobody said anything. "What is that orange stain?"

It wasn't what Bella was anticipating, so she looked up as well. "I really don't know. My best guess is an exploding can of Orange Crush."

Finally, Lauren sat up, pulling herself into a sitting position on the passenger's side. Those green eyes looked around the car distastefully, landing on the silver skull shifter. "This car is so tacky, Bella, it's so you."

"Thanks?"

She gave Bella a look. "That wasn't a compliment. Why did you literally drag me in here?"

"Oh." Bella glanced out the windshield again, catching sight of the majority of the Cullens heading towards their classes. Alice stood at the end of the volvo, in her purple raincoat, hugging her books to her chest and looking back towards Buggy. She seemed... confused, but kinda sad too. Bella grimaced and looked away, back to Lauren. "I was excited to see you?"

It wasn't fooling anybody, but Lauren went along anyway even as her eyes narrowed. "Why?"

"We're friends."

"Are we?"

"Aren't we?"

This time it was Lauren's turn to falter. "I don't... I didn't think so."

"Why not?"

She shook her head. "You don't like me."

"That's not true," Bella replied honestly. Lauren's eyes widened again and Bella found it endearing how much emotion the girl conveyed with her face. "I mean, we don't always get along, but I think you're pretty funny. You're brutally honest and I can appreciate that, even if it annoys the shit out of me sometimes. I think you're a good person, which is surprisingly hard to find around here."

The blonde hummed, looking down at her lap. "Oh." She obviously wasn't expecting all of that, nor such positivity towards her. She sighed, squeezing her eyes shut, and popped her lips together a few times. "Listen, I know I can be a little much sometimes, but you're not all bad either. You seem pretty genuine, and you even have the Cullens reaching out to you so... I don't know, I guess you're okay."

"Careful, I might swoon."

"Shut up," Lauren laughed, opening the car door, "and let's go. We're gonna be late at this point."

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

Dodging the Cullens was much harder than Bella thought it would be. They were... everywhere she turned, always in the hallways, giving her looks. Were they? Were they actually giving her looks or was it her guilt playing tricks on her? Either way, it made navigating the halls a lot more difficult, and she too often found herself ducking behind open locker doors.

Edward seemed concerned when she hesitantly sat down at their lab table, staring down at her books. She usually greeted him with a smile, one of those little two fingers salutes she was always tossing out, or outright saying his name happily. Today, she was... quiet and reserved.

He frowned, closing his eyes and blocking out everyone but his table partner. Nothing, as always. As much as he truly, genuinely enjoyed that about the girl, sometimes he desperately wished he could just take a peek inside. Edward blinked a few times and leaned closer to her. "Is everything alright, Bella?"

"Hm," she grunted, turning her head towards him. He didn't even have eyes to read, to try and get a feeling on where she was at. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just kinda concentrating on the work, you know? It's proving difficult lately."

It was a lie, he wasn't sure if she knew he knew that, but Bella was smart. Edward never had to carry her in class, and sometimes she even surprised him with her different but accurate conclusions of the work. Still, he didn't want to call her out on the lie and offend her, so he was forced to take her word. "Do you need some help?"

"Nah. I'll get it, I just have to focus. Sorry."

And that was that. There wasn't another word exchanged through the whole class, nor the next class they shared, or the one after that. The entire week went by, each day it got easier and easier to ignore the Cullens. Or avoid them, at least. She could never ignore them completely, it just wasn't possible, but she tried her best to keep her promise to Jacob.

That friendship suffered right along with the Cullens. The sheer effort it took to avoid them, the very fact that she was being forced to, by him, made her angry. Angry at herself for promising, angry at him for asking, and just angry at the lack of Cullen in her life.

So she screened his calls when she couldn't stand to pick up or ignored his texts so he could get the picture that she was mad. She hid up in her room when Jake and Billy came over to watch the game in the middle of the week, and she refused to go out to the Res that following weekend.

Charlie was starting to pick up how angry she was, and even asked her about it one night while they ate. She'd been pushing her food around on her plate, chin in her hand, eyes shifting colour more often than usual. "Why so broody, kiddo?" he'd asked.

"I don't know!" she had snapped, looking up with wide green eyes. "I don't know _why_ , it doesn't make sense! This is ridiculous!"

He had grunted something in return, watching his daughter. Something seemed different. "I dunno, Bells. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were moping over a girl. I've seen that look before, I've _had_ that look before."

"Well I'm not," she had mumbled, trying not to get upset as her father sat there chuckling.

She wasn't, she really wasn't. She wasn't into Alice – _or_ Jessica, she'd lost Jessica too, and she wasn't into either of them. Certainly not Edward, either, but _definitely_ not Alice. Or Jessica. She was just pissed that something was going on here in Washington, that involved almost _all_ of her friends, and she was left clueless. Clueless and friendless now, over what she could only assume was petty shit.

The only upside to this whole messed up situation, was that she was slowly but steadily forming an actual friendship with Lauren. It was difficult and most of their encounters usually ended with scowls and glares, but there was a genuine bond there that Bella valued. She was surprisingly supportive; whenever Bella needed a distraction or an _out_ from a possible confrontation with the Cullens (or her breaking down and begging them to forget that she basically _shunned_ them) Lauren was there. With a conversation, fight, or just physically blocking her, she was always there.

She'd even taken to coming over in the evenings when Bella was bored and they'd usually just watch television, but sometimes they went for walks or just spoke. It was actually really nice, so Bella couldn't totally regret making that stupid promise.

That didn't make it easy though, and it was starting to really get to her. Bella sighed, watching her pen scratch against her notes, the page filling more and more with black ink. The teacher droned on and on about his lecture but Bella couldn't focus on that, couldn't pry her eyes from the page beneath her fingers and the image that engulfed her basic notes. It was a substitute anyway, and he was literally just reading from the textbook, so she didn't feel that guilty.

She especially didn't feel guilty after what he did next.

"Miss. Miss! What's her name? Isabella? Isabella!"

"Wha-?" Bella finally looked up to see the class staring back at her again, and was briefly reminded of her first day. This teacher, however, was a lot angrier than her usual teacher had been. His face was red, from embarrassment it looked like, judging by his shifty eyes. Had she embarrassed him by zoning out? "Yes?"

He huffed, large moustache twitching on his lip. "I'm sorry, are we interrupting your doodle-fest, Isabella? Would you like us all to wait until you're finished before we keep learning?" She tried shaking her head but he was already marching down the aisle towards her desk. "Just what is so important that it couldn't wait for art class, hm?"

It was like slow motion. Slow motion and a bad dream, as she watched him snatch up the page. Bella gasped, leaning forward in her seat, grabbing at the page too. "No! I'm sorry, it won't happen again!"

"You've got talent, Isabella, I'll give you that," he muttered loudly, turning the page this way and that as he walked back to the chalkboard at the front of the class. "This looks just like her, I've seen her in the halls. You should be proud, why don't we just put this right up here for the whole class to appreciate."

Face on fire, Bella jerked up to her feet, her hand still outstretched. Like she would magically develop telekinesis and rip the page from his grubby, wrinkled fingers. "Please don't!" she rasped out, frantically looking around the class. A couple people were snickering, a few looked sympathetic, but most of them didn't seem to care at all. "That's p-private!"

"Nonsense, Isabella," he chuckled to himself, taping the page up at the top of the chalkboard. "Such an artist like yourself, your work should be displayed for everyone to enjoy. I would not want to stifle your creativity with my boring History, would I?"

Stepping back to assess his work, the whole class got a good look at the paper. And right then, Bella desperately wished she wasn't as good at drawing as she was, because it was a _very_ accurate rendition of Alice Cullen's face. Right down to the details, she'd taken extra care and time on the eyes, to get them _just_ right. A few more chuckles erupted from the class but mostly people just gave her weird looks.

A weird look for the weird girl who sketched the weirdest Cullen. It was all very weird.

Knees buckling, Bella fell back into her desk. She stared helplessly up at her sketch, trying to ignore everyone else in the classroom. Especially Jessica, whose gaze she could feel on the side of her face. Idly, she could hear the sub ask her if she was ready to pay attention, and she nodded, shifting her gaze down to the textbook in front of her. "Yes, sir."

When the bell rang, she was up and out of her seat, bolting from the classroom as fast as she could. So fast, in fact, that she ran straight into Alice outside in the hall. The two collided, Alice with a gasp of surprise, Bella with an embarrassed squeak. Surprisingly, it was Alice who caught Bella and kept them both upright, one arm around her waist, the other supporting her back.

Which is exactly how everyone else leaving the classroom found them. More whispers and looks were aimed towards them as people shuffled around and went to their next class. Bella stared up into equally surprised and concerned golden eyes, her hands grabbing at Alice's coat, their faces closer than Bella's face had ever been to anyone's before.

Alice helped Bella to her feet, looking up at her with wide eyes full of anticipation. Bella flushed again, adjusting the glasses on her face, and looked down at her feet. Of course, Alice looked amazing, as always, and those golden eyes threatened to drown her if she looked in them too long. "Bella." Her voice was soft, barely a whisper, but full of emotion. Confusion and hurt were the most prominent, but something else, something stronger. Something that made Bella feel desperate, but for what and why she had no idea.

"Sorry, Alice, I... I'm sorry," Bella muttered, looking away down the hall to avoid those eyes, that face she'd spent an hour sketching. "I have to go."

It was the first time in two weeks Bella had any interaction with a Cullen, and it left her reeling. She stumbled down the hallway to her next class, the feeling of eyes on her back never once lifting until she turned down a new hall.

 **.**

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 **SCHEDULES ARE FOR FUCKING ADULTS AND obviously I'm not that, so here we go. I turned twenty-four a couple weeks ago, and I just really can't believe it. I also can't believe fucking Jaaaaaaaaaake – it all comes back to the story. It's why we're here, right? So yeah. Check that dick out, bein' all... dicky. Ah well, good intentions and all that. Also, since this wasn't gonna be an all in depth story, when I wrote this part, I didn't really delve too deep into it. The ignoring the Cullens bit doesn't last more than a chapter. Pretty sure she mends bridges next chapter. I guess we'll see. So those of you who just sighed all exasperatedly, fuckin suck it back in, you don't have to put up with shit. I mean that in a loving way, I adore all my readers. A couple more than others, not gonna name names... coughKELLYcoughFIRENUBScoughCLOUD(your name's so fuckin long)cough**

 **Also, Debbie Hicks, WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU ON AND SHARING IS CARING, BITCH. That was... that was a friggin' EXPERIENCE reading your review. I appreciate the weirdness, mate.**

 **Anyway, yeah. There's the chapter. Jake's a dick, Esme is too precious for this world, Bella's a dunce, and I like Lauren so SUE ME I THINK SHE HAS POTENTIAL.**

 **As always, I hope ya enjoyed.**

 **peace**

 **Paige**


	6. Chapter 6

**CULLEN FAMILY** : Esme and Carlisle. Rosalie and Emmett. Jasper and Victoria. Edward. Alice. Wensley and Jessica.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Twilight.

 **Rated:** T.

 **Author:** xPaige Turnerx

 **Summary:** COMPLETED AND WAITING TO POST. "Trust me, dating a vampire and having a wolf for a brother are the LEAST complicated aspects of my life. Every now and then my nose reenacts the elevator scene from The Shining, and I randomly wake up in the woods. Normal was shot to Hell a long time ago."

" _At the center of your being_

 _you have the answer;_

 _you know who you are_

 _you know what you want."_

 _-Lao Tzu_

A whole month, Bella lasted a whole month without the Cullens. She was a miserable, angry, brooding ball of profanities that snapped at anyone who got too close, but she kept her fucking promise. The days had gotten much colder, enough for Bella to finally break out the gloves, scarf, and wool hat. Even all dressed up like that, sitting in her car, with the heaters blazing at her, Bella shivered. She blamed Phoenix for it, she really did. Always so warm and toasty.

Someone tapped at her window and Bella looked out to see Lauren's face underneath her hood, a smile quirking her lips. "You planning on staying in there all day or are we going to chill before class?"

"Was-" Bella opened the door, sliding out with her bag and slamming the door shut behind her. She shivered violently. "Was that a f-fucking pun?"

Green eyes widened and Lauren snorted. "Unintentional but no less awesome," she said with a chuckle. "Come on, Mike's waiting for us inside."

"Fine, let me just..." the words trailed off and Bella froze mid step. Lauren looked back at her curiously, watching the girl's brows furrow and her jaw clench so tight it made _her_ jaw throb. Bella sucked in a sharp breath, feeling the familiar twinge in her head, the twinge that meant things were about to suck very, _very_ badly. "Not here!"

Lauren reached out to touch Bella's shoulder. "Bella? You okay?"

"Don't touch me!" she gasped, jerking backwards to lean against her car. The grey sky of Forks flashed white, bright and burning her eyes, while the rest of the world got fuzzy and distorted. Lauren's image blurred and flickered, shifting, changing, and making Bella even dizzier. "Please not here. Please." One hand reached for Lauren to steady herself, while the other slid along her door to look for the handle.

This was happening, she knew it was. There was no stopping it now. The twinge was shifting, growing into the pain she knew too well. Her hands shot up to her forehead just as it exploded in agony and she collapsed to her knees, a wail of pain escaping through her clenched teeth. Like someone driving an icicle through her forehead, everything but the pain was numbed out and all thought left her.

Falling to her knees beside her friend, Lauren's hands flailed over Bella's back. "Bella? Bella! What's happening? Hey, someone get a teacher! Help! Get the school nurse!"

Bella fell farther, down to her side so she could curl up in a ball and hold her head. Lauren's voice faded to a high pitched whine in her ears, and she could barely choke in each breath she took.

"Move!" a new voice barked out. "Out of my way, let me through. Isabella? Everyone go to class, except for you. Hey! Emmett Cullen, please, come here."

Across the parking lot, each Cullen looked at the giant. They'd been halted by Alice, holding her back from shooting through the parking lot to catch the human girl who had collapsed. No one was really sure what to do, as Carlisle explained Bella's condition the first night he'd met her, so they could keep an eye out. So Alice could keep an eye out, and not lose her mind, in case it happened. They'd all noticed how attached Alice had quickly become to the human, to her new friend, something that had never happened before. Forming connections outside the family.

How right he'd been. Even knowing just what was happening, the pixie's entire body was straining with the effort it took to stay there and not run to Bella's side. Caring for this girl, this vulnerable human girl, was difficult enough most days, but keeping it from her family was even harder.

Emmett put his hand on Alice's shoulder, concerned golden eyes looking down at his sister. "I'll stay with her, Ali, don't worry," he murmured. "I won't leave her side until she's okay again."

She could only nod, watching Emmett approach the scene at an all too human pace. So slow. So _slow!_

When he got there, Emmett could hear just how much pain this poor girl was in. Could hear her heart hammering powerfully in her chest, wildly and almost out of control. Could see her muscles straining painfully, her entire body trembling. "What's wrong?" he asked the nurse, crouching down and placing his large hand on Bella's shoulder. His brotherly instincts were demanding he make things better, for Alice and Bella.

 _Which is weird,_ he thought to himself, _since I don't even know this chick. Alice, what have you gotten us into this time?_

"She gets bad headaches," the nurse said, straightening back up. "She will be fine in an hour, give or take, but I need to get her inside. I'm sure she won't appreciate the entire school witnessing this, and she will freeze out here on the ground. Please, Mr Cullen, would you carry her to my office?"

Scooping the warm human up in his arms, Emmett cradled her to his broad chest. "Of course," he replied, following the nurse towards the building her office was in. "Should probably head to class, Mallory, I've got things here."

Lauren hesitated, green eyes flickering between Emmett and Bella. "Just tell her to text me when she can, okay?"

"Sure." He gave her a nod and quickened his pace, following the nurse into the building.

Pain was something, as a vampire, Emmett knew pretty well. Though they healed very quickly, they still experienced pain just as anyone else would. Worse, in some cases, as everything about a vampire was heightened, their nerves were too. Besides the many fights he'd been in over the years, he could always draw back on the experience of the change. The internal inferno that had burned him from the inside out for three days straight. Yes, Emmett knew pain all too well.

So it was something when he said he was impressed by Isabella's endurance to her own. She stayed relatively quiet despite the agony she was clearly in; sharp intakes of breath broken up by small whimpers that managed to escape her lips. As much as he was impressed, he was equally worried, however. She was not faking, not exaggerating. He could feel her body trembling in his arms, feel and hear her heart beating wildly in her chest, uncontrollably.

Inside the small office, with a bed-table and a couch on opposite sides, and a desk at the far wall full of gadgets, Emmett laid Bella down on the table. She curled back up into a ball, still holding her head in her hands. The nurse came, taking off Bella's wool hat and brushing her hair back out of her face. "I've read through her file extensively. She's my first student with a consistent condition, but I'm afraid there isn't much I can do."

"There's no shot you can give her for the pain?" Emmett asked. He pressed his hand against her overheating forehead and was pleasantly surprised when her whimpering died out.

The nurse watched this and hummed to herself, knowing how chilly the Cullen children always seemed to feel. Alice and her "catatonic episodes" had the girl in her office a few times now, each time always cold to the touch. "It would be too strong and might knock her right out. At the least, it would leave her drowsy and unable to drive home, let alone engage in class. The best I can do for her is give her a place to rest, wait out the pain, and then some Advil. I have an icepack in the teacher's lounge, but would you mind terribly waiting here and keeping your hand there?"

"I'm not going anywhere until she's okay," Emmett promised with a nod. He reached out for the stool by the bed and pulled it close, staring down at the frail little human. He would stay, he would make sure she got better, he would protect her. A weird feeling to have, for someone outside of the family, but he was starting to see that this unassuming girl had a powerful effect on his family.

For the next two hours, the nurse came and went. Always bringing a new ice pack, and checking in on the two, but ultimately giving them privacy. From their brief introduction, Isabella Swan seemed the fiercely private type, and the nurse assumed she wouldn't like such an audience when she woke up. An hour into the migraine, with Emmett's hand on her forehead, Bella had passed out. The pain became too much, overloaded her senses, and she blacked out quickly.

Were his heart still beating, it would have given Emmett a heart attack, but the nurse quickly explained what happened.

Since then, Emmett sat by Bella's side, with his feet propped up on the edge of the table, leaning back against the wall, on his phone. He let Alice know that the human was resting and looked to be doing loads better, asking her if she still couldn't see the girl through her visions. He sent Rosalie a couple texts, letting her know the situation, easing her worries about being too close to a human, and voicing some of his thoughts on the whole thing. Most of which, Rosalie didn't agree with.

Edward popped by once, on a "bathroom break" just to check up on them, too. For Alice's sake, who could not leave her class, though he told no-one. He knew how desperately Alice was trying to keep her feelings (these overwhelming, confusing, chaotic feelings) from everyone else, at least until she could make sense of them. Objectively, Edward could see exactly what they were, or where they were heading, and was both elated and worried for his little sister, but it was something she had to realize on her own, lest he scare her off from it all.

Not to mention, the human herself seemed to be struggling with how she felt towards the Cullens on a whole. At first, it seemed all lights were green, but the past month proved otherwise, and chances were good that Alice would end up hurt. Meddling would only complicate things even more, so he kept his mouth shut.

Edward had stared down at the girl, listening to her thundering heart. "Why do you think she's trying so hard to keep her distance from us?"

"You know exactly why I think what I think," Emmett shot back coyly, with a wicked grin. It fell moments later, when he looked down at the young Isabella, his massive shoulders lifting and falling in a shrug. "I don't know, bro. Most humans do, it was weird when she wasn't. Much as it sucks for Tink, this is normal. I know how excited she was to have a friend all to herself."

Brows furrowed, Edward looked up suddenly. "Bella and I are... were friends. She knew Jessica well, too." He watched Emmett shrug again. "It happened after that weekend she went to the Res. I fear the wolves may have told her about us."

"Doubt it," Emmett harrumphed, "that goes against their rules or code or whatever. Besides, does she seem afraid to you? I think her reaction would be different if she knew. I think we would know if she knew." He hummed, looking up at his brother thoughtfully and Edward waited patiently for him to voice his thoughts. "Maybe they told her to stay away though? Badmouthed us enough to change her opinion? Jasper said she does look pretty guilty most of the time."

"Yeah, but he can't actually feel it coming from her," Edward said with a small scowl. "I wish I knew what she was thinking, I could sort all of this out."

This time Emmett full out laughed, throwing his head back to thoroughly enjoy it. He slapped his large hand against Edward's shoulder. "Welcome to our world, brother! It's more frustrating than you could possibly know."

Soon after that, Edward left before he caught trouble from his teacher. Emmett went back to his phone, playing mindless games for what felt like an eternity. He chuckled to himself at that thought, knowing firsthand how eternity felt. _Well, maybe not eternity. Maybe not yet. On my way, though, that's more than most can say._

Just before lunch, the girl finally began to stir, and Emmett eagerly put his phone away. Patience, in many ways, was not his strong suit, but with the help of Esme, he was working hard on it.

The human groaned and he could hear just how emotionally _exhausted_ she must have been with her condition. Her nose twitched and she sighed, a pale hand reaching up to rub at her forehead idly. "For the love of chocolate, _please_ tell me what I think happened did not actually happen."

"Out of luck there, bud," Emmett began with a chuckle. "I'm not a fan of chocolate anymore and you had an episode in front of the school."

Bella struggled to sit up, embarrassed when a strong arm helped her not topple off the table sideways. "Brutal honesty? I can appreciate that."

"In that case, you wanna tell me why you've been avoiding my siblings like the plague the last month?" he asked. He _would_ get the hang of patience, one day, but today was not that day, and this just seemed like such an easy solution. Maybe Rosalie was rubbing off on him more than he thought. Esme would be displeased at his lack of manners.

A snort left Bella before she could smother it, making her dizzy enough to rest her forehead against her knee. She turned her head to peek up at the friendly giant grinning back at her and felt her own smile twitch onto her face. "Really? You're just gonna jump straight to the drama?"

"Looks that way," he agreed. Emmett got to his feet, stretching his limbs out of habit more than necessity. He walked around the small room, looking at the pictures and degrees he'd been staring at for a couple hours. "We could make small talk first if you'd like. You don't even have to answer me, it's your choice. I figured I would try and spare some time, you wouldn't believe how slow it can go."

Running a hand through her hair, Bella stared down at the toes of her boots. Gratitude won out against the dozens of conflicting emotions welling up inside, so she shoved the rest back down. From what she could remember, he had carried her all this way, to the nurse's office, and apparently stayed until she woke up. She owed him _something._ "I made a stupid promise," she glanced up at him, "to a dumb boy that I irrationally love. I'm not so good at dealing with my emotions, and that get's me into ridiculous situations like these." Affection clouding her judgement, and those damn puppy dog eyes he gave her didn't help.

"Boyfriend?"

"Brother."

Emmett's brows furrowed and he frowned. "I thought you were an only child?" At her curious look, he flashed her a charming smile. "My siblings are quite fond of you, they speak of you often. Or they did."

"Family doesn't always mean blood," she replied quietly, jumping down to her feet. Emmett nodded thoughtfully. She hummed, staring at her toes once again, this time unable to meet that golden gaze that was coming to mean pleasant things to her. "Do they... are they very upset with me?"

He watched her face, as much as he could see, for telltale signs of guilt and regret. Both there, if you knew what to look for. Edward and Jasper had a habit of relying on their abilities, though not as much as Alice, and it left them... blind, to certain things. Or inexperienced in finding them, at least. "Confused, more like," he said. "And hurt, to be honest. I don't want to make you feel guilty, but I figure the truth is always best. Less complicated that way."

She sucked in a ragged breath, shoulders hunching. "Fuck sakes, Jake," she muttered to herself. "What's the deal with you guys and the Res, why does everyone down there hate you?"

"We don't get along."

"No shit. Why not?"

He seemed to consider this, big finger tapping on his chiselled chin. The Cullens were truly beautiful, and it never ceased to amaze her. "Deep-seated instinct mostly, but also because they're assholes and some of us like to poke. The days can get dreadfully boring, I like to mix things up now and then."

"That doesn't make sense," she deadpanned.

Emmett grinned wider, holding up his arms. "No, but it's the truth and you gotta respect that. I'm not one for these kinds of conversations, Bella, I don't know what I'm allowed to say. You tryn'a get me in trouble here?"

"My personal knight in designer clothes? Of course not, where would I be then?"

"Out on the frozen concrete, that's where." They both shared a good laugh, walking out into the hallway just as it began to fill with other students. Emmett sighed, a smile still playing at his lips, and gave her shoulder a light pat. "I can see why they're so fond of you. I don't know what your boy Jake said, but give us a chance. We're not so bad."

"I'm beginning to see that," she murmured, staring up at the joyful boy.

Offering her one last pat, Emmett started backing down the hallway away from her. Kids parted like the red sea, he didn't even have to look where he was going, as he held up his arms again, flexing impressive muscles. "Once you go Cullen, you won't be so sullen! I can see that smile, Bella."

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The next morning Bella waited impatiently outside of her car, leaning against the door. Though she knew she was safe from her headaches for a couple days now, at least, she still feared a repeat of the previous morning. That had been... wildly embarrassing, and the whispering was still following her around. People looking at her like she was a ticking time bomb just waiting to go off. It made her uneasy, which in turn made them even more uneasy, and she wished for the millionth time that she was normal. Just another average kid.

She'd turned down Lauren and Mike's offer to wait with her, knowing that they only half meant it. They really didn't want to stick around and be there when the Cullens pulled up, but they were still concerned for her. She sent them off on their way, promising she was fine, and stood there shivering in the cold for the next ten minutes.

Finally, after what felt like a frozen forever, the familiar volvo and hummer pulled into their usual spots, which happened to be right next to where she parked that morning. Old Buggy looked sad next to them, but she'd noticed, curiously, that Rosalie's gaze always seemed to linger on her car. Perhaps she was a grease monkey like Jake and her dad; those who tinker could never resist Buggy.

Blonde and red hair stepped out of the car on her side, more graceful than she'd ever manage, and her heart skipped a beat. _Shit, I forgot about them all. Big fuckin' family._ She nervously chewed on her lip, looking up into the stoic face of Jasper Hale, and the gorgeous Victoria he had on his arm. Her lips curled up in a smile that looked more predatory than Bella had ever seen and this girl, if you could call her that, _had_ to have been a cat in a past life or something. There was such a... feline quality to her; perhaps that grace or that mischievous and dangerous glint in her eye, _something_ about her reminded Bella of a cat on the hunt.

A pale hand rose, fingernails perfectly manicured and blood red. A pair of equally red lips parted to reveal pearly whites in a dangerous flash of a smile. "Isabella Swan, it's about time we met. I am Victoria."

Even through her gloves, Bella could feel the lack of heat from her hand. Five Cullens, now, who all happened to have issues with body heat? All of whom, though biologically unrelated, shared the same golden eyes and pallor? Nope. Something was up. Something was _up_ and Jacob knew. Knew but wouldn't tell her, and the Cullens hadn't, probably wouldn't, tell her. Did everybody think she was dumb? That she wouldn't notice? How had the rest of Forks not noticed? Is that why they avoided the Cullens?

"My, but you have the most thoughtful look on your face, Isabella," a southern drawl brought her out of her musings and she looked up into Jasper's endless black gaze. He was giving her an odd look and she suddenly felt like she was being studied. "You look as if you've thousands of thoughts racing through your mind. Or perhaps one exceptionally complex one."

She hooked a smile on her face, only a little strained, and shook Victoria's hand. "Am I that transparent?"

The hand in hers tightened, not painfully so, but enough to bring Bella's attention back to the redhead. Victoria gently pulled Bella closer, leaning in as if she had a secret to reveal, and when Bella thought she would drown in those golden eyes, she spoke. "Not even slightly, my little dove."

"Oh," Bella all but sighed out, locked into that powerful gaze, unable to move. "Sorry?"

Victoria let her go, leaning back into Jasper's side. The boy finally offered her a smile, hooking his arm around Victoria's waist, and inclined his head. "Nothin' to apologize for," he told her seriously, kindly. "We are who we are, the best we can do is surround ourselves with those who appreciate it."

The two took their leave shortly after that, joining Rosalie across the parking lot. The tall blonde had a scowl on her face that Bella could only assume was meant for her, before they all sauntered into the building. "Jeez," Bella huffed quietly. "The shit was that?"

"The geezers tend to get philosophical in their old age," a new booming voice chortled. Bella jumped, looking up to see Emmett literally slide over the hood of the volvo and land in front of her. That giant was smooth! He gave her a lopsided grin, hands in his pockets, the boyish charm oozing off of him. "You're waiting for me?"

"How'd you know?"

He shrugged those massive shoulders. "Tink said she had a feeling you were waiting for me."

Once she deduced that Alice was _Tink_ , Bella blinked a few times. She hadn't seen the pixie leave the hummer yet, and shook her head. "How did Alice know that?"

"Oh, she's psychic."

"Must be," Bella muttered and started rifling through her bag. Missing the wince Emmett made, glancing over his shoulder at a disgruntled huff coming from the hummer. Finally, Bella pulled out a box wrapped in gift-wrap, rolling it around and around in her hands. She glanced up at Emmett whose face lit up, watching him hold out giant hands. She rolled her eyes. Such a child. "I just, uh, I just wanted to thank you. For... you know, yesterday. Making sure I was okay."

Emmett's grin melted into a more genuine smile. He ran one hand through his short dark hair, while the other stayed out waiting for the gift. "No thanks required, Belly-Button, but I will take that gift if you insist."

"You don't even know what it is," Bella said with a laugh.

He whined, bouncing on the spot. "Gimme, gimme, gimme!"

"Fine, you oaf," she tossed it to him.

Emmett fumbled with the box before making quick work ripping it to shreds. His head tilted to the side. It... it looked like fuzzy dice, like Bella had hanging from her rearview mirror, but they were bear paws. Fuzzy bear paws. "I don't get it," he finally said, looking down at her and taking a small step back.

Bella blushed like mad. She coughed into her hand a few times and awkwardly shuffled her feet. "It's dumb, I know nobody _actually_ hangs these in their cars anymore. Except me, apparently. One of the gas stations in town has a whole old display of these in the back, and I saw these last night." She looked out at the rest of the parking lot, unable to meet his eye. "I kinda overheard you at lunch one day talking about hunting and grizzly bears being your favourite or something, and I just saw these... you can toss them out if you want, I know it's dumb."

Whole face lighting up with realization, Emmett almost imploded. "Ohhhh!" he yelled, slapping a hand to his forehead. "They're grizzly paws! Oh man, that's so cool! Thanks, Bella!"

"You don't have to humour me, you can throw them out!"

He was already hopping back over the volvo -seriously, how did he keep doing that?- and wrenching the passenger door open on his jeep. Almost immediately he was shoved back out by tiny hands and Bella caught a flash of spiky hair. He grunted from the ground and got back up to his feet. "Lemme in, Tink, I gotta hang Belly-Button's gift up. Look! Grizzly paws!"

"Are you..." Bella watched him hang them around the mirror just before he was shoved back out of the hummer and onto his butt again, "okay?"

He jumped back up to his feet. "Alice, I'm tellin' Esme when we get home. This is _my_ hummer and I'm allowed to do what I want in it and you gotta stop shoving me out!" The door was slammed shut and Emmett met his reflection in the tinted windows. "What was wrong with your last outfit? My truck isn't a changeroom!" he shouted at the window.

Eventually, he gave up and walked around the volvo, Bella meeting him at the trunk. She glanced at the hummer and back to him. "You really don't have to keep those up there."

"You kidding? Those are awesome," he replied. Before she could brace herself, he scooped her up into large arms and twirled her around. "Thanks!" With the world still spinning, Bella held onto his elbow and balanced herself. He stared down at her with an amused grin. "I am curious, though, how you overheard me talking about hunting. You always sit all the way across the cafeteria."

She dropped her hand, though her arms stayed up until she was sure she wouldn't topple to the ground, and gave him a look. "I don't know if you've noticed, but you're quite loud."

"Not about that stuff," he said more seriously than Bella had ever heard him. "Not about hunting."

She frowned lightly. "I'm not going to judge you for it. My dad hunts with Billy sometimes."

He was still staring at her in that weird, serious way of his and it was starting to unnerve Bella. Emmett leaned in, closing his eyes and took a big sniff. Darker golden eyes flickered open and met her own, even through the shades. "You _smell_ human."

"Thanks?" She watched him closely, the two staring each other down, Emmett's serious mask crumbling away until he was beaming at her. She couldn't help the corner of her mouth lifting into a small smile, even as she came to one startling conclusion. Impossible conclusion. _No. No way. Not a chance. Nope. Ridiculous._ Still, she felt the need to ask, if only to kill this thought right then and there. "Are you not?"

Those golden eyes widened fractionally and Emmett straightened back up. He crossed his arms over that broad chest, glancing over his shoulder once more at the hummer. "You must read a lot," he said simply.

"I do, but that wasn't an answer."

"Wasn't it?"

Her brows furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"Figure that out and a whole 'lotta things are going to make much more sense." He listened to the hummer door open and shut, flashing Bella one last smile. "Always a pleasure, Bella."

Bella watched him go, heading off to the building the others had entered, and shook her head. Always so confusing, this family. She sighed deeply, hands shoved into her pockets, and looked over her shoulder as Alice approached.

The pixie was watching her closely, looking internally torn. Between what, Bella had no clue, but she could see many different emotions flittering across Alice's face until it finally settled on one. One that had Bella shuffling backwards a few steps. _Frustration._

There was an underlying hint of hurt there too, that made Bella cringe internally. She put that there, she put the hurt on Alice's face. She _hurt_ Alice.

She felt her wrists itch beneath their leather bands, and rubbed them on the sides of her legs anxiously.

The last thing she _ever_ wanted to do was hurt Alice.

A jagged sigh escaped Bella again and she staggered forward this time, running a hand through her hair. "I'm so sorry, Alice."

"So you've said." Alice's voice was sharp, it cut through the air like a whip.

Clenching her jaw, Bella struggled to find the right words but there were none. Nothing excused what she did, her petty behaviour. Ignoring and shunning these kind, friendly people who had reached out to her. "Fuck," Bella groaned, pressing the heel of her palm against her forehead. "I'm... I am, Alice. I know that doesn't change anything. I'm not a good friend."

"No, you're not," Alice agreed. Her face screwed up in pain and Bella felt like someone kicked her in the heart. "You have no idea how hard this is, how complicated it is, and then you had to go a make it even worse? Who does that? Why would... why did you leave me?" She shook her head, staring down at her expensive looking purple heels that still did nothing to make up the height difference between the two. "I admit, this is new to me. Making connections outside of the family, I haven't done that in... so long, and it was always me. I always left them. By choice or otherwise, but I've never been... is it karma?"

She was more or less talking to herself then, but Bella paid rapt attention. She was confused, really confused, upset, and so, so guilty. "Alice, have you ever made a promise you really didn't want to keep?"

"No, I would never put myself in that situation," Alice replied, brought back to the moment. She blinked those big golden eyes a few times, tilting her head to the side. "But you seem like the type to."

A humourless chuckle bubbled up from Bella's chest and she nodded. "I am," she said quietly and sighed. "Listen, Alice, I'm not a decent person. I lie constantly, needlessly. I make promises that are impossible to keep, somehow thinking I can, even if I don't want to. I miraculously make friends and then treat them like hell. I hurt the people around me, with little to no effort at all. Most of all, though, I'm not a fan of the Beatles."

It was Alice's turn to let out a small, reluctant giggle. She crossed her arms over her chest, looking all too cute in her purple raincoat with an umbrella tucked under her arm. "Is there a point?"

"You'd think," Bella mused, much to Alice's hesitant delight again. "I don't know. My point is, I guess, that I make promises I can't keep. That I don't want to keep. Anyone who knows me shouldn't be surprised by this, should be expecting this." Alice looked confused and Bella raised an eyebrow. "So... if it's okay with you, I'd like to stop avoiding you now. I'd like to try and be a better person for you – _with_ you – _no_ , um, around you? _I_ would like to be a better person and _you_ would be around, nearby, my friend, maybe. If you wanted. That doesn't make sense. How do I word?"

Alice watched Bella stammer this all out, blushing and fidgeting every few seconds. She smiled softly, the sting of rejection fading away, replaced by endearment. Bella was too cute sometimes and, try as she might, Alice could not resist. "Bella," she called gently, waiting to catch her reflection in those shades. "I forgive you, mostly. I can't stay mad at you, at least."

"Thank god," Bella breathed, her whole body relaxing. "Really, Alice. Thank you. I will try my best to not be such a bastard from now on."

Hooking her arm with Bella's, Alice began leading the two of them to the girl's first class. It was familiar and Alice had missed it so, so much. Bella's warmth, the beat of her heart like a steady war drum in her chest. Her peculiar and awkward mannerisms, despite the calm and unshakable aura that surrounded her. That drew Alice in like a relaxing gravitational pull.

They stopped outside of Bella's History class, each on one side of the door. There were prying golden eyes inside that both girls ignored for now, and Bella chewed on her bottom lip. Alice pried her eyes away from that action, blinking rapidly, and looked up into her reflection again. "If you wanted to earn my favour more quickly, there _is_ something you could do."

"Yes, anything!" Bella agreed eagerly.

Alice fiddled with the umbrella in her hands, looking all too nervous again. So foreign on the pixie's usually confident, carefree face. "Show me your eyes?"

"It had to be the one thing I can't do, didn't it?" Bella pouted, her shoulders slumping. "Why do you want to see my eyes?" she asked wearily.

People were, naturally, _very_ curious to see her eyes over the years. Any chance they got, they would try to take a peek, and if they didn't get the chance, they would make it. Hands constantly reaching, trying to snatch her glasses away. Her reflexes were honed in over the years, sharp and, well, not deadly, but nobody was touching her without consent anymore.

This seemed different. Whether it be because _Alice_ was asking her or Alice was _asking_ her, Bella didn't know. It felt different too, like she wasn't just curious. Like she didn't care about the colour she would find, or if the rumours were true and there was disfigurement.

"I want to see you," Alice whispered quietly, those golden orbs searching the reflective surface of Bella's shades. "It's not just your eyes that you're hiding, is it? These glasses keep people out, keep them distant. Away. They're not shades, they're your shield." Alice's hand reached out, giving Bella's arm a gentle, reassuring squeeze. "The only reason someone needs a shield is if they're looking for protection." That cool hand slid down Bella's arm until it was holding her much, much warmer one. "And the only reason someone seeks protection is if they've been hurt before."

Internal walls shot up, red alerts flashing in her head, her mind being bombarded by alarms and urges to run. To yank her hand away, sprint down the hallway, and never look back. "Everyone's got a sob story," her voice was a little rough and she cleared her throat, "mine's not anything special."

"Why do I get the feeling you're underselling it?" Alice asked softly. She clasped Bella's hand between her own, hugging it tight to her chest while Bella's mind reeled. _She's hugging my hand. Why is she hugging my hand? Alice. Cullen. Is. Hugging. My. Hand._ "I won't hurt you, Bella."

Alice quickly realized she'd made a mistake when Bella relaxed again, not in a comfortable kind of way, but more resigned. Her voice was... hollow and Alice mentally kicked herself. "I know an impossible promise when I hear one. Kind of my thing, remember? I should probably get to class, but thank you for giving me this chance, Alice. I know I don't deserve it. I'll see you in gym?"

Hesitantly, reluctantly, and as gently as she could, Bella slid her hand from between Alice's. Gave the pixie a two finger salute, and slunk into the classroom that was quickly filling up. She glanced to her usual spot in the back, next to some boy who was usually still sleeping, and up to the front by the door. There was an open chair, as usual, by Jessica Cullen.

Tentatively, Bella dropped into the chair to the girl's left. She pulled out her notebook, glancing at Jessica every now and then, who was studiously ignoring her. The irony was not lost on Bella. She'd spent so long ignoring them, now that she wanted to reach out again, they were ignoring her. Or Jessica was, at least. "Hey, Jess, I'm-"

"You don't get to do that," Jessica snapped quietly, whirling around on Bella like a beautiful, angry angel. Hot damn, she forgot how pretty the Cullens were, how overwhelming their beauty was. Alice's was inviting, always beckoning Bella in, while the rest of them, their... otherness, it was nearly invading. Bella blinked a few times. "You don't get to treat us like _that_ and then come back into our lives like nothing happened. You were..." she shook her head, sucking in a sharp breath and Bella was surprised at how genuinely hurt Jessica was. "You were supposed to be different!"

The Cullens were untouchable, that had been drilled into Bella's head the moment she got here. Nobody talked to them, and they talked to no one. She had thought it was by their doing, mostly, because they didn't seem like it mattered to them one way or another. Before her, they never made an effort to reach out, and Bella figured that's where all the... animosity stemmed from.

Perhaps it was not. Perhaps their seclusion was _because_ of the animosity. And, perhaps, some of them were very _not okay_ with that. Jessica was a people person. She was friendly and polite and _loved_ interacting with Bella, but maybe it wasn't just Bella, maybe it was people in general. If so, Bella couldn't imagine what it must be like for her, being denied that just because of who she was, just because people were small minded, shallow beings.

 _And then I had to come along and yank her around. Let her in and then let her go. I'm such an asshole._ Bella sighed, refraining from slapping her forehead. "I've tried so long to be just the same as everyone else," she began quietly, hesitantly meeting Jessica's amber eyes. "I think I'm getting quite good at it."

" _Exceptionally,"_ Jessica hissed and Bella swore those eyes darkened. But how could they? They weren't like hers. No, she was just seeing things now, seeing what she wanted to see. Desperate for someone else to be like her.

Bella frowned. "I'm sorry."

"Yeah, well, where does that get us?" Jessica shook her head, looking back to the front of the room. "Still here. Still angry. Still hurt. Keep your apology, I have no use for it." Snickers caught Bella's attention, somewhere behind them, and she looked over her shoulder. Kids in the back corner, glancing at them, then giggling under their breath and whispering. Is that why Jessica turned away? "Just like all the others."

A brow rose as Bella caught her grumbling, and she looked back at Jessica. Could see her jaw clenching, ever so slightly. See how stiff her shoulders became. Jessica really, _really_ did not like the way she was treated by everyone else, and Bella felt shame eating her up inside. She'd made Jessica feel like this. She'd done this to each and every Cullen, and she felt sick about it.

Suddenly, Bella jerked up out of her chair. A few of the kids around her, including Jessica, jumped slightly. The teacher paused her lecture, head tilting to the side. "Is everything alright, Miss Swan?"

"No," Bella all but growled. "It really fucking isn't." She turned to look at the girls in the back corner, still wearing those damn smirks and grins. "You don't know her-"

"Miss Swan, please take your seat!"

Bella ignored the teacher, pointing an accusing finger at them. "You don't know any of them, _how_ can you treat them like that? Whispering and giggling, spreading rumours, calling them names. Fuck _you_ , and everyone like you. Everyone." _Even me._ "Jessica is kind and funny, she's brilliant and generous. I was nobody, alone and new, and she scooped me up. Offered me unconditional friendship. _That_ is the kind of people the Cullens are, not like you, not like me. Petty, biased... _fucks_. I'm ashamed of myself and you should be ashamed of yourselves too."

One of the girls flipped her hair and rolled her eyes. "Whatever," she scoffed.

The shame in Bella's gut morphed into a rage that she had to swallow back, fists clenched tight. Instead of leaping across the desks and pummeling the girls until they were unrecognizable, Bella turned to Jessica. The girl was staring up at her with wide, astonished eyes. Bella sank to her knees beside Jessica's desk, resting her chin atop her fingers on the edge of the desk. "I'm so sorry, Jess, that I was ever like... _that_ ," she glanced back at the girls, her lip curling up in a silent snarl. "I didn't realize, I didn't... I didn't know I was hurting you."

 _This_ was the apology she had tried to get across to Alice and hoped that it would make its way to the pixie and Edward. Jessica needed a public apology, needed to see that she'd done what she did not because she was like the others, not for such petty reasons as _you're weird_. Alice needed to know, needed to see that the last thing Bella ever wanted to do was hurt her, that it wasn't about hurting her, and that she'd hadn't known she was. And Edward, the apology itself was enough for Edward, raised in a time where words held power. If she was truly sorry, she would say so. So she did.

An awkward throat clearing brought Bella back to the moment. She blinked a few times and stood back up, turning to look at the teacher. The woman was frowning but her eyes were soft. "Miss Swan, why must you always disrupt my class in the oddest ways?"

"Habit, I suppose."

The woman sighed. "You know I have to send you to the principal's office now."

"Yup," Bella nodded, "just had to apologize to my friend." She reached down, grabbing her bag, and slung it across her chest. She spared one last look at Jessica before she left the room, happy to see the little smile she was receiving. "You are, Jess, you know. My friend, that is."

Jessica's smile grew and she nodded. "I do now."

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 **Everybody gets a new chapterrrrrr! You get a new chapter! _You_ get a new chapter! Channel your inner Orpa and get excited with me! Maybe everybody doesn't get a new chapter. I'm led to believe that nobody or almost nobody got email alerts saying I updated? I know _I_ didn't get an email telling me that the story was successfully updated, so... that was weird. Hoping this one works properly. **

**Guys. GUYS. The next chapter. The NEXT CHAPTER. Heheh. Shit goes DOWN, man. I think. I'm pretty sure it's next chapter. "Fucking fight me, Helen!" is the overall feel of the chapter. Or the last half. Some of y'all are gonna love it, others will be blissfully indifferent and I can appreciate that. Indifference is underrated, so good for you.**

 **Anyway, lookit Bella being an adult but not really but at least apologizing like a semi-decent person, kinda. And Emmett! I love Emmett. I really, really do. He's the best. Shoutout to a couple people whose reviews make it just FUCKING IMPOSSIBLE TO STICK TO SCHEDULES SO FUCK YOU I LOVE YOU BUT FUCK YOU FOR REAL I LOVE YOU THOUGH...FUCK YOU, Firenubs (sickest of dabs to YOU, my friend), Kelly (no, YOU'RE lovely and your English is _fine_ , it made me swoon -kinda- nobody calls me lovely so that was awesome. Usually weird, odd, and abrasive), Cloud (I'd use your full name but society would crumble, entropy would win, until an ape like civilization arises and reigns surpreme over earth by the time I'd finish typing your name), HappyLittleVegemites (I take full credit for bitch arse english words, so you're welcome anyway). **

**As always, I hope ya enjoyed the chapter!**

 **peace**

 **Paige**


	7. Chapter 7

**CULLEN FAMILY** : Esme and Carlisle. Rosalie and Emmett. Jasper and Victoria. Edward. Alice. Wensley and Jessica.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Twilight.

 **Rated:** T.

 **Author:** xPaige Turnerx

 **Summary:** COMPLETED AND WAITING TO POST. "Trust me, dating a vampire and having a wolf for a brother are the LEAST complicated aspects of my life. Every now and then my nose reenacts the elevator scene from The Shining, and I randomly wake up in the woods. Normal was shot to Hell a long time ago."

" _At the center of your being_

 _you have the answer;_

 _you know who you are_

 _you know what you want."_

 _-Lao Tzu_

By the time lunch rolled around, the whispers were becoming unbearable. Isabella Swan; the new girl, the weird girl who wears shades all the time, who befriends the odd Cullens, who collapses in pain, who freaks out in the middle of class and yells at people. She was officially, irrevocably, and undoubtedly the biggest outcast in Forks now. Moreso than the Cullens.

There was nowhere she could go without people talking about her, pointing at her, and she was so tired of it. Already. Not even a full day in. Bella groaned when the lunch line halted because the group in front of her were too busy watching her to move on. "Oh my god, I get it!" she snapped at them, slamming her lunch tray down. "Can we _please_ get on with our lives?"

Two blondes popped up then, Lauren on one side and Mike on the other. They set her tray down and led her over to their usual table, Lauren all but shoving Bella into the seat. She huffed, glaring down at her friend. "You don't make it easy, do you?"

"Make what easy?"

Lauren rolled her green eyes. "Anything. Anything at any time, Bella. Why must you be so incredibly complicated?"

"I'm really not."

"Hah," Mike scoffed this time, sliding into his own seat. He eyed Bella up and down, gesturing to her with his fork before stabbing it into his salad. "Are you saying all of that is by accident?"

Bella looked herself over, huffing a little. "All of what? I was born like this, _Michael._ "

"All of you, dork. Not your body."

"Oh." She deflated and frowned. "Yes, then. I just... it was about time somebody said something. It's not right, the way they're treated."

Lauren shook her head, leaning back in her seat. Her eyes raked over the cafeteria and the few turned heads. "No need to worry about that anymore. Nobody's mentioned the Cullens all morning."

"Really?" Bella perked up. _Did I really get through to them? Did I make a difference?_

A wicked grin spread across Lauren's face and Bella's stomach fell. "Too busy talking about you to even remember the Cullens exist."

"Fuck sakes," Bella muttered darkly, much to the amusement of her friends. "Why do people suck?"

Angela, who'd been silent until this point, as she often was, finally piped up. She smiled at Bella shyly, a light blush on her cheeks. Such an innocent girl. "Not all people. I think it's very sweet that you stood up for them, Bella. You're living proof that there are at least some decent people in the world."

"I'm really not," she countered, glancing over her shoulder at the Cullens' table. A little more animated today than they'd been recently, Alice was bouncing in her seat as she spoke to Rosalie. The blonde wasn't exactly smiling but she had soft eyes aimed at her sister that melted Bella's heart. "I can't believe I was such an asshole. I'm kicking Jacob's ass the next time I see him."

Mike and Lauren exchanged looks. Mike coughed a couple times, trying to make himself seem as nonchalant as possible. "So... just out of curiosity, why _were_ you ignoring the Cullens?"

"Hm?" Bella looked back to her table a second before numerous pairs of golden eyes landed on her. Her brows furrowed and a scowl took place on her face easily as she crossed her arms. "The answer to that will never be good enough, but the short version is: I was _trying_ to be a good friend."

A golden brow rose and Lauren tilted her head to the side, green eyes studying her friend's face. "Seems kind of counterproductive."

This time it was Bella's turn to study her friends. Angela and the other three were talking amongst themselves, while Mike and Lauren gave her their full attention. Each blonde confused and mildly concerned. They were smart, obviously, and more down to earth than most around these parts. Surely they'd pieced it together as well, surely they knew. "Have you really never noticed?" she asked, surprised. The two looked at each other again, even more confused now. "I can't be the only one to spot the pattern, can I? They're not that good at hiding it."

"Don't be fucking cocky, spell it out for us," Lauren snapped. She didn't like being left out of the loop.

Chewing on her lip, Bella looked around the table again. "I shouldn't. It's not really _my_ place to tell, people are entitled to their secrets."

" _No way!"_

The three jumped at the sudden boom of Emmett's voice, each head in the cafeteria turning to look at him. The giant winced sheepishly, ducking down at the table as each sibling reprimanded him. Slowly everyone got back to their own conversations at their table, but Bella kept watching. Both Edward and Alice were staring at her, wearing matching masks of anxiety and worry. They seemed genuinely distressed.

Tugging at her sleeve forced Bella to look back to her own table and the two blondes who were waiting impatiently. "Well?" Mike prodded. "What have we missed that you picked up on?"

Something in her gut flipped, making her stomach churn when she thought of telling the others about her suspicions. About the quarrel between the Cullens and the Res. About the matching golden eyes and pallor, about being cold to the touch.

So instead she pulled out a cherry sucker from her coat pocket and spun it around in her fingers. "Oh, just that I'm a shitty friend."

"You are," Lauren agreed with her own scowl. She snatched the sucker out of Bella's fingers and popped it in her mouth, flipping the girl off when she reached for it. "Keep your secrets then, but when you have another meltdown in the middle of class, don't say we didn't offer to lessen your burden."

Bella's chest shook with a chuckle and she smiled softly at her friends. "I'll keep it in mind."

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 **.**

"I don't suppose the apology has made its way through the family and reached you already?" Bella asked as she sat down at their lab table.

Edward ran a hand through his hair, bringing the bronze locks out of his eyes to look up at Bella. She seemed nervous, chewing on her lip and fidgeting with her pen. Edward offered her a reassuring smile. "Indeed, it has. No need for such dramatics as defending my honour to the rest of the classroom, Bella. Though Jessica appreciated it very, very much. I'm glad you realized that she does not take these petty things in stride like the rest of us, she's still very young."

Bella frowned. " _You're_ very young."

"Am I?" Edward blinked innocently, a little too innocently. There was mirth swimming in those golden eyes of his.

She huffed. "You should be a little more cautious, take care to not just _give_ yourself away."

"That was the plan."

"Well what happened, because you're really sucking at it right now," she grumbled.

Edward chuckled under his breath. "You happened. You're very hard to plan for, Isabella Swan. It's driving Alice crazy, but I think beneath the frustration she loves it."

"The fuck does that mean?" Bella all but growled at him, leaning forward to squint up at him. "Are you... you're normal, right?

This time Edward looked a little confused. "So you don't actually know?"

"I don't know what I know anymore!"

"Well, what do you think you know?"

She pointed an accusing finger up at the boy, a fierce glare on her face. "Stop that! Just tell me."

"I can't do that."

The two stared at each other for a few explosive moments, Bella's shoulders rigid and trembling with rage. "Of course not. Nobody can _tell_ me but they'll flaunt it in my face and watch me freak out over it. You know what? I don't fucking care anymore. You and the Res can be as weird as you fucking want, and I'm just gonna do my own thing. That work for everyone?"

"Splendidly well, thus far," Edward agreed quietly. He waited for Bella to pull out her notebook, looking down at all the doodles in the margins. He noticed, through the months, that she had a bit of a theme when it came to her mindless doodles, and wondered if she even realized. Birds. Ravens, specifically, everywhere and of every size. Some vague, quick little blips, others in depth and lifelike, and when she wasn't drawing these birds, it was feathers. "Why don't you ever ask Alice?"

Bella blinked a few times, breaking her concentration from the teacher to look her lab partner again. "Ask Alice what?"

"You know."

"Why would I? Do you think she would tell me?"

He considered this and a new wave of anxiety started eating at his gut. "I think she might, yes."

"Really?" Bella's eyes lit up.

"Are you going to ask her?"

"No," she replied without thinking. Her brows drew together in confusion and Edward watched her closely. She spoke her thoughts aloud. "If she wants me to know, she'll tell me, and I don't want her to think it matters."

"Doesn't it?"

"No," again, she answered without thinking but honestly. Her lips tugged up as she thought back to that morning. "We are who we are, the best we can do is find people who appreciate it."

Edward grinned at her. "Wise words."

She rolled her eyes, not that he would see, and looked back to the front of the room again. "Then you know they're not mine."

"Yes, well it still counts that you would repeat them and I..." Edward's words trailed off and Bella glanced at him curiously. His golden eyes stared blankly at the table in front of them and his head tilted to the side like he was listening to something particular. His normal little-crooked smile fell into a frustrated frown and he sighed, shaking his head. "She's not going to like this."

"Who?"

"Hm?" he blinked a few times and met Bella's eye. "Oh, I just heard something unpleasant."

" _Right,"_ Bella drawled but ultimately let it go. She had doubts he would tell her even if she asked him directly, and didn't feel like succumbing to the frustration she always endured around them.

The rest of the class passed by rather quickly as the two focussed on the work and Edward tapped away on his phone every few moments. Bella tried to sneak a peek every now and then but Edward expertly tilted it away or slid it back into his pocket, all without ever looking away from his notes.

Classes after that were a blur, especially when Bella realized that Alice wasn't in gym class. Quite often she skipped, but she usually took a seat up in the stands to work on her academics or take pictures with her camera for Art. With two minutes left in class and the pixie nowhere nearby, Bella was certain she'd skipped. Well. She was certain the first fifteen minutes but for some inexplicable, totally _peculiar_ , reason she still held hope that Alice would show up.

Why was it that Alice was _everywhere_ when Bella was trying to keep away, and now that she was actively _l_ _ooking_ to spend time with her, she was gone? _Because life isn't fair and you've been told many, many times that things get complicated when we're involved,_ she thought to herself sourly.

The sea of students around her swept Bella out into the parking lot after school. Bella followed the large group until it started splintering off, kids heading to the buses or their own cars. Bella fished around in her pocket for her keys, staring down at her feet and stopping abruptly when a pair of familiar purple heeled boots came into view. Bella froze, head whipping up and smile growing on her face. "Alice!" she said excitedly.

The anxious frown on Alice's face fell off, a brilliant smile tugging at her lips. "Are you happy to see me, Bella?"

"Yes," Bella replied automatically. She blushed and glanced to the side. "I mean, I guess. Yeah. Maybe."

Alice hummed, rocking on the balls of her feet while she stared up at Bella. An impressive feat, considering she was wearing those heels. "I wish I could stay and enjoy this moment a little longer," she said suddenly, a shadow falling across her face. She looked over her shoulder at the other end of the parking lot. "I just came to give you my cellphone number and ask you to promise me something."

"Huh?" Bella blinked and Alice scooped up her hand in her two cooler ones, a crisp white piece of paper being placed in her palm. She closed her fingers around it before the wind could carry it away, and looked up with a confused face. "What do you mean?"

Again, the pixie was looking over her shoulder, taking a step ever closer to Bella. When she turned back, there was scarcely three inches between them. Alice's eyes searched Bella's shades for her own, frustrated and genuinely scared. "I know you're not good at keeping promises, Bella, especially after our talk this morning. I _know_ what I'm asking you, and I know you're going to struggle with it."

"Okay...?"

"Don't go into the woods," Alice begged, her voice brimming with emotion. She squeezed Bella's hand. "It may not seem like a big deal to you but please, _please_ don't go into the woods."

Brows furrowed, Bella tilted her head to the side. "What, like, tonight?"

"Ever. Any night, Bella. Please," Alice whispered. She clenched her jaw and looked off to the side for a moment. "You're _very_ hard to predict, Bella, but this time I have and you can't go into the woods. Something bad happens to you in the woods."

 _Well that's not creepy as fuck._

Bella lightly shook her head, the gears in her mind turning. Alice, what, predicted something bad was going to happen to her in the woods? Like when Emmett said she knew Bella wanted to talk to him? He was joking when he said she was psychic, wasn't he? Was this some kind of joke? No, Alice's face was too desperate, too scared. She was being genuine. But was she really psychic?

The woods were pretty scary, Bella knew this. Not a lot of Forkians ventured into the bush, either scared of the wildlife or local legends. Every now and then a camping party would go missing, so Charlie and the boys would have to send out the search team to bring them back, but they were always unscathed. Just lost.

She, herself, never had the particular urge to go traipsing through the woods. Yeah, they began just behind her house, but she never set a foot inside them. They were just... there. Why was Alice so concerned? Bella didn't even have _plans_ to enter the woods.

It seemed like an easy enough promise to make, and if it made Alice feel better, that was a bonus. So Bella nodded. "Yeah, alright. I'll steer clear of the woods."

"Try," Alice murmured, still looking up at Bella like she might fade away into nothingness right there. Like she didn't truly believe Bella would keep her word. Given the girl's track record, it was a safe assumption. "Please just try."

"I will," Bella insisted. Alice still looked frenzied and almost panicked, something Bella was definitely not used to seeing in her friend. It made her... anxious and she had the sudden urge to scoop Alice up and run home with her, protect her from whatever was distressing her so. Instead, she placed her hands on Alice's shoulders, squeezing her gently but firmly and leaning down to catch that honey gaze again. "Alice, everything will be okay."

The pixie lightly shook her head, ink black spikes bouncing across her face. "For the first time in my life, I don't know if it will." The panic in her eyes faded into resignation, albeit temporary, and she leaned up on her toes. Alice pressed her cool petal lips to Bella's cheek, lingering there for a moment. "Be careful, Bella," she breathed against the warm skin.

By the time Bella blinked, Alice was gone, disappearing into the silver volvo on the other side of Buggy. Bella stood there, one hand reaching up to touch her cheek where she could still feel the phantom ghost of electrified lips. A blush steadily rose, but she had no time to enjoy it. The Cullen cars were pulling out of their spots and there was commotion going on behind her.

"Hey, why are you in such a rush? What do you want with her? Bella! Hey, Bella, watch out!"

Mike's voice was alarmed and almost desperate, enough to put Bella on guard, and she whirled around. Only to lower her guard once again at the familiar, yet oddly enraged, faces of her friends, Quil and Embry. "Hey, guys. What's up?"

Quil frowned deeply, shoving his hands in his pockets. His dark eyes flickered over to the volvo and hummer idling at the edge of the parking lot, and his shoulders began to tremble. "You broke your promise, Bella, that's what's up. What the hell were you thinking?"

"What-"

"Come with us," Embry snapped, pointing to the dirtbike across the parking lot. "Now."

Bella jutted out her hip, arms crossed over her chest. "First of all, you try giving me an order again and you'll have to explain to your momma why you're carrying all your teeth around in your pocket. Secondly, I really don't think the three of us are gonna fit on that bike. Lastly, Mike, I'm fine and you can go home. I know these guys. They're not usually such assholes."

"Cut the shit, Bella!" Embry growled at her, stalking forwards. "You're coming with us _now_ and I don't want to hear another word of it."

Mike's face, red from anger or embarrassment, morphed into something dark and twisted. "Don't you talk to her like that, she's not going _anywhere_ with you!" he shouted, grabbing Quil's elbow.

The large boy shoved Mike away, sending him sprawling to the frozen concrete ground. "Don't touch me!"

Quicker than anyone was expecting, Bella shot forward, palm pressed against Quil's shoulder and slamming him into the side of Buggy, pinning him there. "Don't touch _him_ , Quil!" she seethed, pressing against his chest until he winced. "Mike, leave. Now. Embry, get on your bike and follow us. Quil, don't you dare open your mouth again and get in the fucking car. How dare you treat my friends like that."

Embry slammed his fist down on Buggy's trunk, making a noticeable dent. His entire body was shaking and his face was the picture of rage. "You don't know what you're doing, Bella," he growled under his breath. "Stop giving us orders, you're not our alpha."

"You'll find I'm _everyone's_ alpha if you piss me off enough," Bella shot back, eyes narrowed in a glare the boys could _feel._ Despite her anger, she mentally high-fived herself for thinking of such a badass line on the go. _Fuck yeah, I'm stone cold, bitches._ "Which you just have. Get on your bike or we're going to have much bigger problems."

He glared at her, eyes blazing with fury at even the idea of someone other than Sam giving him an order. His genes would not allow it and it took all his self-control to stand there, fists clenched tight. Bella, on the other hand, never backed down. Her shoulders were straight and rigid, her stance strong and powerful, and she was not about to budge. These boys were lucky she was cooperating, especially after what they did to Mike.

Quil looked over his shoulder at the fancy cars and back to his packmate. "Do it, Embry. We need to leave."

"Fine!"

The two watched him storm off across the parking lot again, and Bella finally let Quil go. She stared up at him and he looked down at her, both of them silently fuming. "Did Jake send you?"

"Yes."

"So this is his fight he sent you to instigate," she grumbled. Quil lifted his lip in a silent snarl and walked around the car to get into the passenger side. Bella rolled her shoulders and took a deep breath. "It's his ass I need to kick then. So be it."

The Cullen cars were gone by the time Bella pulled out of the parking lot, and her own car was engulfed in heavy silence. Quil was pouting, staring out the window and angling his whole big body away from Bella, and she was gripping the steering wheel so tight her knuckles were white.

By the time they reached the lone highway that would take them to the Res, Quil perked up again. He shifted in his seat ever so slowly until he could turn his head and look at Bella. Those big dark eyes were wide and his lips just barely in a pout, and Bella knew a puppy-dog face when she saw one and steeled herself. "Bells?"

"Fuck off."

He winced and clasped his hands together, tapping his fingertips against each other. "Right, right, but maybe before that... um, could you maybe not be mad at me?"

"Fuck. _Off._ Quil."

"Please don't be mad at me," he begged quietly, leaning forward to try and catch her eye. That big, goofy, stupid face was too endearing for its own good. "Bells? I didn't want to do that, neither of us did. If it were up to me, I would have called and invited you over for another fire."

She grumbled under her breath, glancing sideways at him for a moment and then back to the road. "That would have been so much more effective. Not even a fire. If someone had just called me up and said _hey, Bella, I really need to talk to you and it's important, can you head over now?_ Not assault my fucking friends and offend me."

"I know!" Quil threw his hands up, bumping them against the roof of Buggy. "That's what I said! I _told_ him just to call you but he said you've been ignoring his texts lately."

"Yeah, 'cause I'm pissed at him!" she snapped. "How well you think it's going to go now? I'm double pissed. He is in for a _world_ of trouble when I find him, Quil. So are you and Embry, okay, you don't have to do things you don't want to, especially when they're shitty things like harassing me and my friends. But you did. You chose to _obey your alpha_ , whatever the fuck that means, so now you're on my list too."

He whined lowly. "Bella-"

"Fuck off, Quil. You wait for me to call you before we ever talk again. Mike's palms were bleeding."

Wounded and rejected, the boy flinched back in his seat and turned to look out the window again. Bella was very, very angry and no amount of pleading was going to change anything. He could only make it worse right then and decided to keep quiet for now. Maybe when Jake explained things, when she understood, she would take it all back and come find Quil again. Until then, he'd give her what she wanted. Space.

When they pulled up in front of the Black house, Quil all but spilled from the car. He jogged off to the road again, where Embry was waiting on the bike, and the two raced off down the gravel. Bella slowly got out of the car, watching them leave, and then turned to the house.

Jake was waiting for her, leaning against the railing on the porch. His eyes were dark and stormy, an impressive scowl on his face making him look more like a man than a boy. He muscles rippled and Bella knew, right then in that instant, that her friend was more than met the eye. He was just as different as the Cullens were, not in the same way, but equally so. What a hypocrite.

"Bella."

"Jackass."

His lips twitched, not with a smile, but he seemed to be fighting off a snarl. "I'm not in the mood for games, Bella."

"If you think I'm playing around, you are sorely mistaken, Jacob Black," she declared, storming over to the front of the house. She glared up at her friend, from the other side of the railing, hands on her hips. "I'm waiting for your apology."

Surprisingly, her best friend in all the world, her _brother_ , sneered down at her. "Pull up a chair then, you'll be waiting a while."

"You are such a bag of dicks-"

His eyes widened and he finally snapped, swinging his legs over the railing and landing on the ground where Bella had stood. She jumped backwards with a gasp and kept shuffling back as he stalked forwards, an accusing finger jabbed in her direction. "Me? That's fucking rich, Bella. _You_ are the one who broke her promise. You promised me, Bella. You _promised_ , and then I had to hear through that petty grapevine that you're hanging out with them again? That you're waving the Cullen flag and freaking out on anyone who so much as blinks at them? What the actual fuck, Bella! You promised!"

"You shouldn't have asked in the first place!" she shouted back at him. Bella slapped his finger out of her face. "I shouldn't have promised and you shouldn't have asked, but fine. I can own when I'm an asshole. Yeah, I broke our fucking promise. Second time today I'll let _everybody_ in on the newsflash, something _every-fucking-body_ should have realized by now. I. Am. Not. A. Good. Person. I don't keep promises, I don't take shit from anyone, I'm on-fucking-guard and ready to fight anybody who so much as looks at me wrong, and I can't care for people properly. Have you met my dad? The man doesn't know how to _emotion_ and my mother, God love her, is the wildest card out there burning bright and fast. Put them together and it doesn't make for a well-balanced child."

Jacob scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest. He looked off to the side with a shake of his head. "Don't make me pity you, Bella, that won't get you out of this."

"Choke on your pity, Jake, you're not listening to me," she growled back at him. She took a deep breath to calm herself, pushing her shades up into her hair. It was a white flag she waved, a sign of truce and that she was trying to be genuine, trying to make the effort. Jacob relaxed immensely when pale brown eyes stared back at him. "You shouldn't have asked me, Jake, you knew I didn't want to make that promise. I shouldn't have broken it, a promise to you means something to me, but you shouldn't have asked me."

He sighed deeply, running a hand through his dark hair. It stuck up in an odd and endearing way. "Bells," he huffed out. "I'm just trying to protect you, honest. You would understand if you knew, you would stay away if you knew what they are."

"I don't care," she argued.

"You would if-"

She reached forward to touch his arm, locking eyes. "Look at me, Jake. I _don't_ care what they are. They're my friends, and that's all that matters to me. She could be Jack the Ripper for all I care-"

"She?" he echoed.

Brown eyes widened and Bella shuffled back again. "Hm? Yeah, they could be Jack the Ripper for all I care. All of them. Together. Slicing and dicing the ladies of the night. The whoooole clan of Cullens, each individual one, altogether. Not one without the other. Just me, not caring what _they_ are. All ten of them."

"Who is she?" Jake asked, posture once again more stiff than normal. He rolled his shoulders, clenching and unclenching his fists as his mind raced. Bella singled one out, one in particular, one that meant more than the others. One that meant _more._ She was not just being near them, befriending them, she was _invested_ in one. Attached. "Which one is she?"

Bella scoffed, crossing her arms. "Who is she? I don't know what you mean. There are many she's, frankly, in Forks and in their family. Five right there, but there's also Lauren, Angela, Stacy, Sarah-"

"Who is the _she_ you were talking about, Bella?" Jacob demanded, taking a menacing step forwards.

Bumping into her car, Bella started sliding along towards the trunk. "I don't recall mentioning a she, to be honest. Are you sure you heard me say she?" she asked, putting the car between them. Jake looked decidedly more upset than he'd been when she pulled up and that was saying something, considering how angry he was before. "Lot's of things sound like she. He. Be. Me. We. Tea. Fee. Whoopie."

More lies, when was she going to stop _lying_ to him? Right to his face? His blood boiled and he had to lean against the trunk as a wave of rage threatened to take over. "Bella," his voice was a growl, a real, genuine growl like from a wild beast. "Which one did this to you? Which one stole you?"

"Stole me? I'm right here, Jake," Bella breathed. Her heart beat wildly in her chest as she saw more and more of her friend disappear. Who this was, _what_ this was, she had no clue, but she knew enough to sense danger. "I can be friends with you both-"

" _No!"_ he snarled, slamming his fist on the trunk much like Embry had. Unlike Embry's little dent, however, the entire trunk lid caved in around Jake's fist. "It doesn't fucking work like that! Which one was it? Which parasite stole you away from me? That redhead? Or the blonde bitch? Was it that fucking little one? Who-"

Jacob collapsed back to the ground, clutching his throbbing jaw. He blinked the stars out of his eyes, or maybe it was dust from his rough landing, and looked up to see Bella standing over him with a fiery look on her face, her fist still clenched. He threw his head back and let out the most animalistic roar Bella had ever heard when he caught sight of her golden eyes, just like those bloodsuckers, and the way the light _very_ faintly reflected off her skin like a dusting of diamonds. Not quite like the leeches, but close enough to make him lose his mind. "I'll kill them!"

Instead of turning around and racing off to do just that, the rage overtook his trembling body and he shot forward towards Bella. His hands darted out, connected with a chest that was just a tad too stoney to be normal, sending her toppling backwards over Buggy. He grabbed the trunk and heaved it up, flipping the entire car over their heads and into the yard.

Pure instinct had Bella shoving herself backwards through the grass, away from the beastly boy chasing her. She kicked her feet out when he got too close, impressively launching him back into the driveway a dozen feet away. _Impossible._ "S-stop! Jake, stop!"

Quicker than expected, he surged forwards at her again, focussed on those golden eyes. She rolled to the side, narrowly missing large hands grabbing for her, and listened to him collide with the underside of Buggy, still flipped on its side. He roared again, the hair on his arms growing, his teeth elongating, and though Bella knew this transformation was all happening quickly -as fast as it took him to lunge at her in the middle of the yard again- it felt like slow motion.

She watched as her best friend in the whole world, her brother whom she knew better than anyone else, exploded into an enormous wolf right before her very eyes.

Like... the _fuck_ , dude?

Bella gasped just before the two collided, a clash of fists, claws, teeth, and knees. Bella swung and kicked with all her might, taking some sick satisfaction at every yelp and whimper of pain she earned. Shame followed closely after but it was hard to hold onto in the middle of a fight. Especially when she felt the warm trickle of blood on her face and knew those claws had sliced into her somewhere.

Somehow during their scuffle, Bella managed to snake her arms around that big furry neck and locked her hands. She wrapped her feet around the wolf's torso as best as she could, feeling those claws rake against her thigh but surprisingly leave no scrapes. "I said stop it!" she roared back at the snarling beast, squeezing her arms tighter and tighter.

A cloud of hot steam rolled over Bella's back seconds before a powerful jaw clamped down on her shoulder. The pressure was agonizing, enough to make her let go of the wolf to blindly reach up at whatever bit her. Fortunately, the second those fangs managed to break through the oddly tough skin, they stopped. At the first taste of blood, they withdrew quickly with a whimper.

 _Thank God, that could have ended badly,_ Bella thought, reaching up to touch her shoulder. Some bruising, to be sure, and a couple of puncture marks but they stopped before they could do any real damage. Bella scrambled to her feet, blinking wide brown eyes at the number of giant wolves standing in the yard before her.

A man walked out between them, shirtless and looking much like Jacob, if a little older. She'd seen him around La Push enough to know this was Sam Uley. "Everybody stop, just take a breath!" he yelled.

Bella let out a haggard breath, looking around for Jake... or what used to be Jake. He was nowhere to be seen. "What's going on?" she demanded. "What happened to Jacob? Where is he? Why are... what are... those are giant wolves. What the _hell_ is going on?"

"I thought maybe you could tell me," Sam said firmly. He slowly approached Bella and she watched as all the wolves flanked him, eagerly awaiting his word. Like they could understand him? "Your skin was glowing. Not like the leeches, but still. Only, you bleed. I can clearly see your blush now."

Brows furrowed, Bella held out her hands and stared down at them. Grass stains, a smear of blood, and dirt. "My skin doesn't glow," she replied slowly. "I don't know what you're talking about and you're not freaking out over those wolves. You know more than me, so you explain."

"I can't do that, Isabella-"

She stalked forward, watching the wolves tense, and stopped abruptly. Clenching her jaw, she pointed at him and glared fiercely. "Nope, not gonna cut it. My best friend just exploded into one of your wolves there and tried to kill me. You tell me right this fucking second what is going on here and don't you dare tell me you can't. This is happening. _You_ are telling _me."_

He sighed deeply, running a hand through his hair and nodded. The wolves slowly, hesitantly left one by one until it was just the two of them standing in the yard. "I suppose you'll want to hear about the Cullens as well? Jake's mentioned your insistent questions."

"No," she shook her head, "the Cullens aren't the ones who attacked me. Until then, they can tell me themselves when they're good and ready. They've earned that. You fucks, on the other hand, owe me answers." She crossed her arms over her chest, wincing at the gash she could feel in her eyebrow as it rose. "And if you so much as mention their name with that distaste around me again, I'll make you choke on your words."

Dark eyes studied her closely. "You've got a strikingly familiar temper, Miss Swan."

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 **So ffnet is a fuckin dick, eh? I don't know what's going on with the uploads, just that there is mass confusion all around, and I'm glad. Not that balls are being dropped (ayyoooo, I don't have time to make horrible jokes, I gotta head out) but that I'm not the only one confused. Whoopie for puzzled camaraderie!**

 **This chapter. Dudes. My dudes. Things shift and change from here, lemme tell ya. I mean, obviously. Now the Cullens KNOW Bella knows that they're not normal, and now Bella KNOWS that they aren't normal. For real, she's not just crazy. And the wolves! Before some fans out there start yelling at me for making their lovable little wolfpack jackoffs, just chill. Just chill. They're not all jackoffs. Just most of 'em. Why? Because I found most of 'em to be jackoffs, tbh. Including Jake, like I fucking HATE Jake in the books, but I decided this time 'round I was gonna make a bunch of the unlikable characters likable.**

 **I'm getting off track. Y'all probably wanna talk about what happened with that fight. THAT FIGHT THAT WAS SISSY STUFF AND REALLY JUST A TUSSEL BETWEEN BROTHERS. I oversold the fight at the end of the last chapter, I know. I'm a liar, sue me. Pls, god, pls dont. I have no money. But like, whoa right? Bella had GOLDEN EYES and ALMOST SPARKLY SKIN and WRESTLED WITH A WOLF. Eh? Ehhh? How many of your theories are shot to shit now?**

 **I'm just floored, guys. Over how many of you thought that little scene between Alice and Bella was cute. That was like? Not filler but like I didn't even really consider it to be much of anything when writing it? Other than, let's talk about Bella's eyes and make sure Alice and Bella are cool again? So now when they ARE being cute, like, I have a lot to live up to and make it real fuckin adorable. Thanks. I also was blown away by how many people liked the glasses scene for the glasses-stuff. And Jess's scene IM SO HAPPY YOU GUYS APPRECIATE BELLA'S APOLOGY THEY'RE BOTH SO DRAMATIC JESS MORE BUT BELLA BECAUSE SHE KNOWS JESS VALUES THE DRAMATICS AND RESPONDS WELL TO THEM.**

 **#shitgetsrealanon you need a smaller name because you and Cloud will eat up time itself, the beginning and the end of reality will meet and clash into one by the time I get through your names, why does everyone have such a long name, pick smaller names my god, who has the sheer TIME to type them, I get winded just SAYING them. But I really, really liked your review, so cheers, dude. Don't be shyyyyyyy, I don't bite. Unless you're into that, then we can talk. But for real, feel free to leave a review whenever you want, logged in or anon.**

 **Cloud, I just don't have the TIME to reply to your review in detail. It would double the length of this chapter if I did. Just know IM RIGHT THERE NEXT TO YOU AND ADDICTED TO CAPS TODAY APPARENTLY BUT YEAH IM SUPER PSYCHED ABOUT STUFF TOO. And-super-happy-you-just-said-opra-and-totally-didn't-mention-or-notice-i-said- _orpa_ -i-was-super-embarrassed-like-i-had-to-lay-my-head-down-and-sigh. **

**Firenuuuuubs, your reviews _fire me up_ , get it? YOU deserve a whole review of your own, but, like, I don't even really know what that means so I can't do it. And you were right, she did launch at Jake for being a lil bish. And _I_ appreciate the fuck out of _you_ checkin for updates every day. **

**God, what a long-ass a/n. Be honest, who skimmed? I skim. I'm a lil bish too. :(**

 **peace**

 **Paige**


	8. Chapter 8

**CULLEN FAMILY** : Esme and Carlisle. Rosalie and Emmett. Jasper and Victoria. Edward. Alice. Wensley and Jessica.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Twilight.

 **Rated:** T.

 **Author:** xPaige Turnerx

 **Summary:** COMPLETED AND WAITING TO POST. "Trust me, dating a vampire and having a wolf for a brother are the LEAST complicated aspects of my life. Every now and then my nose reenacts the elevator scene from The Shining, and I randomly wake up in the woods. Normal was shot to Hell a long time ago."

" _At the center of your being_

 _you have the answer;_

 _you know who you are_

 _you know what you want."_

 _-Lao Tzu_

The giant red chevy idled in Bella's driveway as she sat there, staring at the front of her house. Buggy was... messed up and in no condition to drive. It would be towed back to Bella's place within the week, but she _refused_ to let anyone down there work on it, in spite of their offers to do it for free. She had only grudgingly taken the truck because she needed transportation but she didn't like it. She hated it, actually.

She knew the only reason the wolves were being so generous was because they feared she would tell their secret. Sure, they dressed it up a little more pretty with claims of _earning your trust, you're one of us now and we take care of our own_ , and possibly a little bit of guilt because Jacob had attacked her. But she knew the truth.

The wolves. _Wolves._ Shapeshifters, that's what all her childhood friends were now. Boys that literally exploded into giant wolves, all in a pack under Sam's Alpha status. Protecting the Res from the Cullens, though she still didn't know why, didn't _want_ to know why, until Alice or Edward or Jessica told her themselves.

"Wolves," she repeated under her breath. She looked up into the rearview mirror, taking in the stitched up and bandaged gash in her eyebrow, peeking out overtop her shades. Everyone seemed... well, astonished really, that she'd _wrestled with a wolf and got out with a mere scratch_. They'd given her weird looks for it, actually. She just considered herself lucky, and figured somewhere deep down, Jacob really wasn't trying to hurt her.

Jacob. He hadn't come back before she left. Sam said he had to cool down, but she wasn't sure he was telling the truth then either. Jacob was avoiding her now, wouldn't even answer her texts or phonecalls. So he was either really guilty or really angry. She hoped it was guilt. Guilt she could forgive. Anger she had to fight and Bella really, really didn't like fighting, especially not with her brother.

A violent sigh that hinted at the rage simmering below, tore from Bella's lips and she roughly snatched her keys from the ignition. Fine. If Jacob wanted to be like that, fine. _She_ should be the mad one. He had this _huge_ secret he'd been keeping from her for so long. She'd done nothing wrong! He lied, he kept things from her, and then had the audacity to be mad when she broke his flimsy, stupid, lie-filled promise?

"Whatever," she growled and slammed the truck door closed behind her. She turned around just in time for a pale and black blur to almost tackle her back into the truck. Her breath caught in her throat, first in surprise, and then because she realized _Alice Cullen_ was desperately hugging her. Surprisingly tightly, firm, cold and yet somehow warm, with her face buried in Bella's shoulder where it met her neck. She could feel Alice's cool breath on the skin of her neck and she shivered. " _Alice,"_ Bella breathed.

The girl in question dared to squeeze Bella even tighter, bodies pressed right up against each other, basking in the taller girl's warmth. _So warm._ "I was worried," she murmured into her neck, swallowing down a mouthful of venom. Bella's delicious scent was concentrated there, filling Alice up and making her delirious. Everything about this girl was intoxicating and Alice literally _craved_ Bella Swan.

These were the startling realizations that she had slowly been coming to terms with the past few weeks, while the object of her attention had been trying to ignore her. _That_ had been painful.

Bella tilted her head to the side in confusion, but her arms automatically came up to hold Alice to her, one hand resting on her lower back, the other on her shoulder. It was probably her mind playing tricks on her, but she could have sworn she heard and _felt_ Alice purring. Ridiculous. Totally in her head. "I'm fine?"

Pulling back enough to look up at her, Alice's golden gaze locked onto the bandage in Bella's eyebrow. "That's not true," she murmured. Chilly fingers gingerly brushed against it and Bella winced. Alice's frown deepened and her eyes swirled with something... dark. Something Bella had never seen before. " _They hurt you."_

Bella's eyebrows shot up at the _dangerous_ quality Alice's voice took on. She subconsciously hugged Alice tighter. "He didn't mean to."

"Jacob Black did this to you?" Alice asked in astonishment. "Isn't he your friend?"

A frown slid onto Bella's face. "Yes, but... it's complicated. I shouldn't have, well, I mean, I'm not making excuses for him. He really shouldn't have... but I also... it was a fight, we had a fight, and it got a little out of hand. We were both in the wrong. Perhaps him a little more than me, but... I don't know, Alice. I just had a really, _really_ long night." Her brows furrowed and she looked around the yard, not spotting any other cars. "Speaking of which, what are you doing here?"

"I was worried, I had to make sure you were okay," Alice replied quietly. Even though she couldn't see Bella's eyes, she knew their gazes were locked, and refused to look away, refused to break it, or even let the girl go. She just didn't have the strength to pull herself away from Bella, not when she didn't know if she'd ever get this close again. "Are you okay?"

Well that certainly did the trick. Bella, suddenly uncomfortable, shifted backwards from Alice until there was space between them and she was forced to drop her arms. She shoved them into her pockets, avoiding Alice's eyes and shrugged her shoulders. "I'm fine."

"I don't believe you," Alice sighed and crossed her arms over her chest. "You know they're wolves now, that must weigh heavily upon your mind. He's your best friend, your brother, and has been lying to you. You must feel... betrayed?"

She seemed particularly interested and anxious of Bella's answer to this. Bella shrugged again, deciding to store away the knowledge that Alice just confessed to knowing about the wolves too. "A little."

Alice noticeably winced. "Secrets have a way of hurting those they're meant to protect," she said ambiguously.

"I don't need protection," Bella huffed. "I need answers and trust, but he obviously doesn't trust me. I must not be as important to him as I thought I was if he could lie so easily to me for so long."

Golden eyes widened. "I'm sure he didn't mean for it to get so out of control, Bella. You _know_ you mean the world to him, surely you must, somewhere deep down. Those feelings... they're too intense for you not to pick up on."

She scoffed, turning to walk towards the bed of the truck and stare out at Forks before her. "I feel like a fool, Alice. I _knew_ something was going on, but I had no idea it was this. Just... _dangling_ in front of me, this whole other world that everyone but me knew about. I feel so dumb, like the only kid in the class who didn't get the right answer."

"Bella-"

She whirled around on the pixie, holding up her arms. "And you!" Alice flinched. "I can _f_ _eel_ your pity every time you look at me, Alice. The poor, simple human can't keep up with wolves and... and whatever's going on with your family. Yeah, noticed that too, but I _know_ you know that. Still won't tell me, of course, but let's play with the human's head. Fun game, right?"

Alice couldn't say that didn't cut, didn't hit her deep. She scowled, trying to get a hold on the onslaught of emotions threatening to drown her. Guilt, so much guilt, sorrow, rejection, but a bit of anger. She grabbed hold of it in hopes of burning away the rest. "Hey! You're the one who ignored _me_ ," she snapped, pointing a finger up at Bella. "I was reaching out, I was trying to make a connection, and you shut it down. Suddenly, without warning, without cause. Real trustworthy actions, Bella."

Blue eyes flashed behind shades and Bella faltered. Everything Alice had just said was accurate, she couldn't even argue it. "I made a promise-" she began weakly.

This time it was Alice's turn to scoff and look away. "A really horrible promise, a really hurtful one. Do you even realize how that made me feel, Bella? I didn't know what I did wrong, just that suddenly my friend, my... you didn't want anything to do with me."

Deciding to deal with the _why_ of the sharp pain in her chest later, Bella surged forward. "You're right," she said, jaw clenching when Alice's hurt eyes flickered back to her cautiously. "You're right, Alice. I'm so sorry. I _don't_ deserve your trust, I have no right to take my anger out on you, after everything I've done to you. I'm so, so sorry."

"Bella," Alice sighed as the anger died out quickly. Just the guilt, regret, and sorrow remained. "You're not entirely wrong either, though. I should tell you-"

"No!" Bella quickly shook her head, resting her hands on Alice's shoulders. The pixie's eyes widened. "No, don't tell me. Not now, not yet. Only when you're ready. Only when you _want_ to, not because you have to. I will earn your trust, Alice, I promise, because you mean... you mean something to me. More than something."

Painted red lips tugged up into a smile, golden eyes shining brilliantly in the dark. Alice swallowed down the purr in her throat and stepped into Bella's space again. "Isabella Swan, the things you do to me," she sighed out, this time happily. "Your father is about to come out here to see what's taking you so long, I have to leave." Alice leaned up on her toes again, pressing her lips to Bella's cheek, or more accurately, the corner of her mouth. She lingered there until the flame of Bella's blush warmed her lips, and took a shy step back. "But I'm not done with you."

Bella watched her skip down the driveway, unable to suppress the grin from taking over. Her heart thudded painfully in her chest and she was positive Alice could hear it, that the whole entire world could hear it. "Will you ever be?" she called out in a breathy voice.

Suddenly bathed in the light from Edward's silver volvo, Alice looked over her shoulder one last time at the girl standing in her driveway, leaning against that damn truck from her visions. That _dreaded_ truck which had her heart sinking into her boots. She forced those thoughts away and flashed Bella a smile, half lovely half predatory. "Never," she promised.

 **.**

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The buzzing of the waiting room lights, those damn florescent lights, was causing a sharp, consistent ache in Bella's head. Oh how she hated hospitals. Truly, deeply, _passionately_ hated them. With a grumble, Bella shifted in her small wooden chair, huffing to herself as she searched for a comfy position.

"Would you chill the fuck out, Bella? You're making _me_ uncomfortable," Lauren snapped quietly, glancing up from her magazine. Green eyes were narrowed in an impressive glare over the top of the magazine, Lauren looking all too content in her own chair across the room. One leg crossed over the other, purse in her lap, reclined back to lean against the wall.

Bella stuck her tongue out and crossed her arms over her chest. "Nobody said you had to come with me."

"We're worried," Mike said gently. Bella looked beside her at the boy perched in his seat, protectively leaning closer to her. Concern etched into his baby face, it made Bella's chest feel warm. Such a good friend. "That was really freaky, you were just... you were _there_ but you definitely weren't still in the room with us, Bella. It was like talking to a sleepwalker but you were awake and-"

" _And,"_ Lauren cut it, setting down her magazine to lean forward into the space between her and the others. She eyed Bella up and down curiously. "You were muttering. I don't know what it was, I don't even know if it was English, but I _did_ catch the last thing you said."

Once again, the action of rolling her eyes was lost on Lauren and Mike, so Bella had to settle for a scowl. "Don't start with the-"

"It came true!" Lauren hissed quietly, looking over at the nurse's station. Nobody was there. "You said Tyler crashed his van into his garage door, Angela saved one of her little brothers from choking during dinner, _and_ that another body turned up in Seattle."

When she glanced at him, Mike shrugged but looked no less impressed and curious than Lauren. He held out his phone to Bella, showing her his text history. Tyler freaking out about wrecking the van, Angela telling everyone to be careful and that she already had to give one person the Heimlich and didn't want to do it again anytime soon."

"That's not even-"

Again, Lauren was cutting in and didn't let Bella finish her sentence. She was up out of her chair, shoving her screen in Bella's face. A video clip of the news in Seattle, the reporter talking about the discovery of a fourth body, and speculation about them all being connected. "Three out of three is not just a coincidence, Bella."

"Why are we at a _hospital_ of all places, then? Shouldn't we be at some voodoo store?"

Mike snorted. "Someone needs to read up on their fantasy and supernatural lore. We're here not _only_ because of that," he glared lightly at Lauren who scoffed, "but also because your face was like the elevator scene from _The Shining_. That was a helluva lot of blood, and we're concerned."

"It stopped, I'm fine."

"And you can predict the future!" Lauren all but shouted, stomping her foot. "Are we really glossing over that? I can't be the _only_ one who watches the damn Sci-Fi channel. Pick up a book once in a while, guys, come on. Visions of the future, horrible headaches, bloody noses? These are all bits of one equation!"

"Which is?" Bella asked with a growl to her voice. The headache was getting worse.

Lauren shrugged. "I don't have answers, only speculations at this point."

"Helpful."

"Bella?"

The three all jolted up out of their seats, spinning around to look at Carlisle Cullen standing at the entrance of the waiting room. His face was neutral, with the barest hint of a smile, golden eyes kind as ever. If he heard any of their conversation, and Bella hoped he hadn't, he showed no signs. Bella cleared her throat, glancing to either side at her friends, and stepped forward. "Um. Hi."

He chuckled lightly, a bright smile tugging at his pale lips. "Hello, Bella. Lauren, Michael. How are you three this evening?"

"Good," Bella replied. She shoved her hands into her back pockets, rocking on her feet. "How are you?"

Lauren rolled her eyes, shouldering her way in front of Bella. "Doctor Cullen, why have you not strapped my friend to a table and run all the tests you can think of on her?"

Heart sinking into her sneakers, Bella turned to gape at the blonde. Carlisle beat her to the punch, though, inclining his head. "Much as I would like to run a few, Bella has thus far declined, as is her right. Why have _you_ not convinced her otherwise yet?"

"Touche," Lauren muttered with a smirk.

"I don't _need_ tests, I'm f-ohh." Bella stumbled forwards, her knees buckling, as a wave of dizziness threatened to sweep her off her feet. Stoney arms caught her easily and supported her weight, while she looked up into a pair of golden eyes that had her heart clenching with longing. _Not the right pair..._ "Okay, I'm less fine, but still kickin' it."

Carlisle frowned lightly, staring intently into Bella's glasses. He hesitated, waiting for only the briefest nods from Bella, before sliding her shades up into her hair. Black eyes stared back at him and his breath caught, squinting his eyes to try and locate any trace of brown in her irises.

"Whoa, you have _black_ eyes, Bella?!" Mike exclaimed, leaning over Carlisle's shoulder to look at his friend's eyes. "That's so cool!"

Grimacing, Bella forced her legs to stay beneath her as she pushed away from Carlisle. She nodded her head, letting her glasses slide down onto her nose, hiding her eyes once again. "Yup, got 'em from my grandma on my mom's side. Italians have dark eyes. Like me. Like her."

"Did you see?" Mike asked Lauren excitedly. He was bouncing on his feet, ecstatic at finally seeing Bella's eyes, nudging his friend.

Lauren was still staring at Bella, an unreadable look on her face. "I did, actually. Twice now."

"Twice?" Bella echoed with wide eyes, her body stiff.

Crossing her arms over her chest, Lauren nodded. "Mhmm. Just now and that day you collapsed at school."

"O-oh."

A firm and chilly hand gently squeezed Bella's shoulder, bringing her attention back up to Carlisle's concerned face. "You collapsed at school, Bella? Is that why Alice was..." he shook his head, pressing his lips tightly together as if he had said something he shouldn't have. He sighed deeply, absently tucking a loose lock of Bella's hair behind her ear and patted her shoulder. Something that reminded Bella of Charlie, such a fatherly act of tenderness. "I really wish you would let me run some tests, Bella."

Whether it was the dizziness in her head, the care in his voice, or the super _dad_ vibe he was throwing out, Bella's shoulders slumped in defeat. She groaned lightly, running a hand through her hair, and jutted out her bottom lip in a pout. "Fine! God. Fine. I _guess_ I can sit still long enough for you to draw some blood and do _one_ scan."

Golden eyes lit up in excitement and Carlisle almost bounced in place. He cleared his throat and tried to tame the joy in his voice. "Excellent! I can make the time right now, if you three will follow me."

"Are we allowed to watch?" Mike asked anxiously.

Carlisle tossed a wink over his shoulder as he led the kids down the hallway. "I won't tell if you don't."

 **.**

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 **I _will_ learn to stick to the schedule, one day. My list of reasons for not this time: Mother's Day (I'm not a mom but maybe some of you are), it's kinda short (don't yell at me, it's just the way it worked out), ffnet stopped dropping the ball and sends out alerts again (way to be, ffnet), I just super appreciated all the reviews and wanted to do something nice for y'all (I'm an asshole but I have good intentions). **

**xXhiddenbeautyXP, I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say most if not all ficBellas are OOC because cannonBella was about as interesting as a wet carrot. **

**SH4D0W44, I don't know what I want to say to you, but I just wanted you to know that I've noticed you.**

 **Lir, thank you for the review (and thank firenubs for translating for me) and eeeeeee I wish you had an account because we could have WORDS, but I don't wanna spoil things. You're semi in the ballpark...ish. You're the closest guess so far, at least.**

 **Numbers261, your review made me wince, heh.**

 **Astarii, whaaat uuup, dude. I, too, have had irl reactions that were hard to explain to those around me. **

**Cloud(the only relevant one in the whole fandom), we don't have to talk about the things Lauren did to us but we're all in the same boat, this is a safe environment. Also, tell me your theory because I feel like you're always in my head when it comes to this story so I think you may actually KNOW, dude.**

 **WaxnWane, I've noticed you too! You've been around for a while and I appreciate the hell out of it!**

 **Firenubs, I did more than nose laugh. I also happened to drop my phone on my own face, as I was in bed. I am bruised now. The things I do for my readers...**

 **I don't know when this shoutout thing started, but I know I always appreciate seeing my name in other people's mentionings, so... meh. And I'm also really bad at replying to _all_ the reviews, but I do appreciate every single one! **

**Anyway, yeah. Still really psyched about this story. So psyched, in fact, that I've started adding a couple chapters here and there to lengthen it. So it's gonna be a little longer than originally, but not by much. And I'm kinda sorta planning out the sequel, too.**

 **peace**

 **Paige**


	9. Chapter 9

**CULLEN FAMILY** : Esme and Carlisle. Rosalie and Emmett. Jasper and Victoria. Edward. Alice. Wensley and Jessica.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Twilight.

 **Rated:** T.

 **Author:** xPaige Turnerx

 **Summary:** COMPLETED AND WAITING TO POST. "Trust me, dating a vampire and having a wolf for a brother are the LEAST complicated aspects of my life. Every now and then my nose reenacts the elevator scene from The Shining, and I randomly wake up in the woods. Normal was shot to Hell a long time ago."

" _At the center of your being_

 _you have the answer;_

 _you know who you are_

 _you know what you want."_

 _-Lao Tzu_

Freezing water splashing up into her face awoke Bella that night, her eyes shooting open as a sharp gasp tore from her throat. Her body, like it had been electrocuted, spasmed and flinched until she was shoving herself up out of the creek and to her feet on the other side. As she pulled in another lungful of cold night air, Bella turned around and around, taking in the forest surrounding her.

Terror clutched at her heart, whether it be because of the eery warning she'd received not too long ago, or the simple fact that the forest was _scary._ Dark and apathetic trees towered around her, intimidating and imposing, and all these things Bella never thought trees could be, and yet they were. In their stormy silence, they screamed that she did not belong here, while simultaneously something about them whispered _yes you do..._ It was enough to give her emotional whiplash and make the forest spin around her.

 _The woods. Why am I in the woods? The woods! Where am I?_

A violent shiver shook her shoulders and Bella wrapped her arms around her chest, unable to smother the wave of fear ripping through her. "Why am I in the woods?" she whispered to herself. The night was dark, the moon blotted out by clouds, casting angry shadows all around. The trees were sharp and jagged, tearing at her pyjamas, and the forest floor was prickly and cold against her bare feet. "This is some kind of joke, right? I can't be _that_ bad at keeping promises that I actively break them in my sleep. Stay out of the woods. Simple. Sure thing, Alice. I _promise._ And where the fuck am I? The woods!" she shouted, throwing her fists up towards the sky with a groan. "What is wrong with me?!"

"I was about to ask that same question."

Bella staggered back into the closest tree, heart jumping up into her throat, as she searched for the source of that voice. Instinctively, her hand shot up to her face and some of the panic died when her fingertips brushed against the glass of her shades. Sure, it made things a little harder to see in the dark, but she felt safer somehow. Especially once she realized who the voice belonged to.

A little ways down the creek, leaning casually against her own tree, stood a goddess. A blonde goddess with pale golden locks falling in large curls down to her lower back, golden eyes so bright they almost seemed to glow in the dark. Skin so pale and so perfectly blemish-free that the moonlight (what little broke through the clouds, that is) danced along the creamy surface. That face, so beautiful it could make angels weep, was morphed into its trademark scowl, and Bella briefly wondered if Rosalie had ever actually given anyone a heart attack with a simple look.

The blonde had her arms crossed over her chest, nails tapping impatiently on her forearm that was oddly smudged with what looked like grease. A golden brow rose ever so slightly, and Bella realized that the girl was waiting for a response. "Wh..." Bella's own darker brows tugged together in confusion. "What are you doing out here?"

"None of your business," Rosalie snapped, her voice sharp and cutting through the air like lightning striking the ground. She turned her head slightly, angling her face towards deeper into the woods. "I found her."

Though technically one could consider that a call-out, Bella wondered just who she was talking to and how they possibly heard, because Rosalie _barely_ raised her voice. "Found who?" she asked, shrinking in on herself at the look she received.

Instead of replying to an admittedly dumb question, Rosalie pushed off from the tree to stalk ever closer. She watched Bella sink further into the bark behind her, and rolled her eyes. Still, curiosity won out over the desire to leave this trembling mess for the others. "What are _you_ doing out here?"

"I-I-" Bella stuttered as she looked around their little area of the woods again. Her body shook with another shiver and she desperately wished she was back home in her warm bed. Bella shrugged as best as she could with her arms wrapped tightly around herself. "I'm not sure. I've never slept-walk... sleep-walked? Slept-walked... walking while asleep..." she shook her head while the blonde glanced away, lest she be caught with amusement in her eyes, "well, I've never done that before."

Rosalie hummed, those golden eyes scrutinizing Bella, making her feel naked and vulnerable. "So you traipsed out here into the woods, in your sleep, just weeks after my sister warned against this _very_ situation? Plausible, I suppose. Her words must have had an impact, must still be rattling around in that empty skull of yours, your subconscious toying with the thought of it enough to elicit this reaction."

"Well... ouch." Bella frowned. So Rosalie did not like her. The first, maybe even the only Cullen not to. Granted, she didn't know Jasper, Victoria, or even Esme well enough to gauge their feelings, and had yet to meet whomever Jessica was dating. Bella huffed, her arms tightening around herself less from the chill and more from the attitude she could feel seeping out. She really didn't want to get into a fight with Rosalie of all people. "Is there a point to this ridicule or are you just getting your kicks?"

"I don't know," Rosalie shot back with a challenging air. "Is there a point to this mess or do we suffer needlessly? Are you just getting _your_ kicks or is this genuine stupidity?"

What the hell? Bella threw her hands up into the air, letting out an indignant scoff. "What the hell?" she repeated her thoughts aloud.

Flipping her hair, Rosalie turned her back on the girl. "That's not a proper question."

"Why are you such a bitch?" Bella snarled at the retreating goddess' back.

Pausing only briefly, Rosalie glanced over her shoulder. Brilliant golden eyes met Bella's even through the shades and that fire died out, leaving Bella staggering back into the tree again. "I'm trying to protect them."

Bella watched her go, disappearing just as suddenly as she came. Her own face morphed into a scowl and she growled to herself, angrily shoving off from her tree. "What a bitch – oh! Mrs Cullen!" she gasped, almost jumping out of her skin. She looked from the kind woman back in the direction of Rosalie and wrung her hands guiltily. "Um. Sorry."

"Calm your heart, honey," Esme said gently, a soft smile pulling at her lips. Her own gaze flickered from Bella to Rosalie's spot. "My daughter has a warm, gentle heart of gold, but time and circumstance have hardened her outer layers into impenetrable sheets of ice. She cannot help how she helps, but I believe it's the sentiment that counts most."

Possibly one of the most thoughtful things Bella had ever heard anyone say before, she felt even worse for calling Rosalie a bitch. Especially in front of her mother. She kicked at the ground and winced when she realized she had no shoes. "Still, I shouldn't have called her that. My... my bad."

When another brisk wind stirred up both women's hair, Esme jumped into action. Her eyes widened and she surged forward, quicker than Bella was expecting. "Oh, I'm sorry, dear. I'm afraid I can't offer you warmth of my own, but I did bring a blanket. Here, let's get you wrapped up."

With a surprisingly soft and warm blanket wrapped tightly around her shoulders, Bella already felt herself warming up. Especially when she was tucked into Esme's side and felt the pressure of a strong arm around her, hugging her close as they started walking through the trees. Bella glanced up at Esme as they went, wrestling with her nerves.

Though their trek was quiet, it wasn't uncomfortable. Each time Bella looked up at the older woman, a smile was playing at Esme's lips, her eyes dancing with a joy not often found anywhere else. By the fourth time Bella tilted her head enough to glance at Esme, the woman let out a gentle chuckle and squeezed Bella affectionately. "You can say it," she encouraged, still looking ahead at their destination.

Bella blushed lightly and stared at her dirty feet. Ew. Why hadn't her sleeping mind thought of shoes? How did she even get out of the house? Did Charlie know? Was he awake? Was he looking for her? Or was he fast asleep, none the wiser? "You're all always cold."

"Only when it's cold outside," Esme corrected softly. "We don't generate our own heat, but we don't produce a chill either."

That made sense. They only ever felt like ice when it was particularly cold outside, otherwise, it was just a startling lack of heat. Bella bit her lip. "None of you are genetically related. Except for Jasper and Rosalie, I guess. But you all have the same golden eyes, the same pallor, the same... otherness."

Again, Esme nodded. "Nobody in our family shares blood. Rosalie's last name is Hale, Jasper's is Whitlock, but you are correct. We share a number of similarities, dictated by nature."

The trees around them were starting to thin out, not crammed together so tightly anymore. Bella didn't have to focus so much on where she was stepping and could concentrate on Esme a little more. She had the sense that they were getting towards the end of the woods and would reach their destination soon. "You're not..." her words died out and she frowned absently. _Normal_ , she was going to say but that was a tad rude. Even human seemed a stretch because if not human, what _were_ they? Even knowing Jacob exploded into a giant wolf, she still considered him human. Well, in the grand scheme, at least. Chances were the Cullens were similar to that. Human enough, but not completely. "Like me," she chose instead.

This time Esme looked down at her, pulling away enough to give Bella her full attention. Her eyes, always so kind and full of compassion, were alight with curiosity and something else. Esme's lips pulled up into an affectionate smile. "No, we're not, but then... you're not like the others either, are you?"

A blush worked it's way up Bella's neck and she _swore_ those golden eyes darkened to more of a burning amber. She shook her head, looking back down at her feet. "I'm not like anyone."

At least the Cullens had each other. At least Jacob had his pack. They knew what they were, who they were, and where they belonged. They were different from most, but the same as others.

"You're unique," Esme said quietly, hugging Bella close to her again. That stricken look on the girl's face tugged at Esme's motherly heartstrings.

Bella couldn't stop sorrow from seeping out of her words, "I'm alone."

"I'm sorry, dear." Words were never enough, Esme knew this, but it was the best balm she had at her disposal. She couldn't even begin to guess what Bella was, _if_ she was something, or just different. It had been keeping Carlisle up, so to speak, for weeks now. All signs pointed to Bella being an ordinary human, but the Cullens and Bella herself knew that just wasn't true. "You have us now."

It wasn't much and she wished she could offer the girl more, but it would have to do. And, surprisingly, it helped. Bella's chest felt tight and warm again, especially when she looked up at the enormous house across the yard they stepped into. "Thank you," she murmured sincerely, looking back up at Esme again. "For... that, for the blanket, for finding me." Her brows tugged together in confusion again and she shook her head. "Wait, how _did_ you find me? How did you know to look for me?"

"Jessica and Jasper smelled you in the woods," Esme replied honestly, without a second thought. It only confused Bella more, so she shrugged. "They were out and happened to come across your scent deep in the woods, and after Alice's prediction, they were on high alert. We all came out to search, but your scent is _everywhere_ in there. I'm not sure how long you were sleepwalking, so it took us some time. Alice is still inside, trying to search her visions for you, but as you know you happen to be... quite elusive to her. She's only ever been able to pinpoint your future once, and it has shaken her, to say the least."

Storing away all that information, Bella struggled to pick her jaw up off the ground. She started to say something a few times, only to halt. "Alice is psychic. Emmett was telling the truth."

"He often does, and yet it always surprises people. He's not a fan of lying," Esme said in amusement.

Bella shrugged. "Well, I mean, I always feel like he's joking or not being serious."

"He does that too, yes," she agreed.

Their conversation was stalled when Jasper _appeared_ from nowhere, a tall pale blur that came into focus only when he stopped before the two. Bella blinked and looked behind him just in time to see the front door swing closed again. "Holy Hell, you're fast!"

"Good evening, Bella," he greeted briefly, his black eyes scanning her over once before returning to Esme. His scarred face was pinched together in concern and perhaps a little pain, and Bella noticed him shift away from her ever so slightly. "It's Alice. Rosalie came back to tell her that Bella is safe and with you, but couldn't reach Alice. Nobody's been able to."

The worry in his face and voice was enough to make Bella's heart stutter and again, idly, she noticed each Cullen glance down at her chest before focussing on each other. Could they _hear_ her heartbeat? "What? What do you mean you can't reach her? That sounds bad."

"It's okay, honey," Esme said gently, patting her shoulder. Her tone, face, and aura was still incredibly calm and it did wonders on the other two. "This has happened a few times over the years. Alice gets so wound up and then caught up in her visions, she loses herself in them. It's her way of coping with things when they become overwhelming, and she's very worried about you lately. Normally I would say leave her be for a few days and she'll come back to us when she's ready, but given what's going on in Seattle and her previous vision of you, I think it's best if we give her a hand back."

Jasper glanced down at Bella again, giving her a grimace of a smile when she turned to look at him. "You think Bella will be able to reach her?"

"She _is_ the object of her searching and the cause of such distress," Esme said thoughtfully, tapping her finger against her chin. "I believe so, yes. If not, I'll call Carlisle home and we will go from there."

"As you say." Jasper bowed his head slightly and was _gone_ again, just like that.

Bella ran a hand through her hair. "You guys really _aren't_ human, are you?"

Esme beamed down at her, looping her arm through Bella's, and led them towards the house again. "I think that's a conversation best left for you and Alice to have, dear. She so badly wants to tell you."

"Does she..." Bella bit her lip when Esme glanced down at her again and shook her head. "I mean, I think she... No. No, never mind. That's kind of a childish thing to ask. You're such a mom, you make me feel like a little kid."

The blinding smile she got in return hinted that Esme was happy about that.

It was no surprise that the Cullen mansion -yes mansion, this was not a house- was gorgeous. Considering their cars, their clothes, and their faces, Bella was almost _expecting_ their home to take her breath away. Still, she looked around in wonder while she stood in the front foyer, waiting for Esme to bring her a towel to dry off a little better. It was so open and bright, warm and inviting just like Esme herself. For some reason, the spiralling staircase across the foyer was beckoning her, but instead, she walked to the entrance of the living room off to the left.

A beautiful set of glass French doors took up almost all of the back wall, while an enormous television took up another. A sleek black piano rested on a slightly raised platform in the corner closest to Bella, and the last corner had bookcases on either wall with a comfy chair tucked away by the lamp. The rest of the room was filled with furniture that looked _way_ more expensive than Buggy, but what really caught Bella's attention was the sole occupant of the room.

Alice was in the middle of the room, kneeling on the ground between the couch and the television. Her hands were on her knees while she sat on her heels, head down to stare at the carpet in front of her, tilted to the side as if she was watching something. As Bella approached, she could see those lovely golden eyes, the ones literally of her dreams, that always managed to steal her breath away. They were clouded over, shifting back and forth, watching a scene unfold that no one else could see.

Unable to look away, Bella kneeled down in front of Alice, ducking her head to try and catch those eyes. Up close she could see the pixie's body straining, her jaw clenched so tightly it made _Bella's_ teeth hurt. Alice's hands were squeezing her knees so hard that her fingers had torn through her jeans, leaving five little puncture holes on each knee.

No wonder Jasper seemed so worried! Bella had to swallow down her heart and fear. "Alice!" she gasped out. When there was no response, not even a pause in her shifting eyes, Bella blinked the sting of tears away. Why was she crying? Why was her heart pounding so hard? Why did the edges of the room blur into darkness? "Alice, look at me! Please. I'm right here, Alice. I'm okay."

There was no response, no indication that Alice had heard her. It was startling and Bella briefly thought back to a couple weeks prior when Mike and Lauren had dragged her to the hospital. Mike had described an eerily similar state Bella had been in.

"Alice?" She snapped her fingers in front of the pixie's face, huffing to herself when Alice didn't even blink. "Come on, just look at me. I'm here, Alice, you don't have to keep looking for me. Alice!"

Warm hands cupped chilly cheeks and both girls gasped lightly. Bella's face broke out into a smile while Alice blinked rapidly until she could see the living room again. " _Bella,"_ Alice breathed, her voice trembling. Her own hands let go of her knees and she could feel the spiderweb cracks in them already healing up. One hand lightly latched onto the front of Bella's shirt, as if to keep her there, while the other rested over one of the warm hands on her face. "You went into the woods."

With a grimace, Bella guiltily looked away from those eyes. Fear, worry, frustration, joy, relief, and confusion swirling together in a dizzying mixture and it made Bella's head feel even lighter than it already did. "I... I don't even know what to say, Alice. I never _mean_ to break my promises but this time I wasn't even consciously doing it! I..." she let out a ragged breath of frustration, a pout sliding onto her face. "My apologies, my promises, my word... none of them mean anything anymore, do they?"

"Why did you go into the woods?"

Again, Bella's frown deepened. "I'm so sorry, Alice. I really, really didn't mean to. I was sleeping-"

"No," Alice shook her head with a slight smile, "I know that, Bella. You're not in trouble, you weren't even awake. But your body went into the woods. You _always_ go into the woods, each and every time. I need to know why, you need to know why, because it's so dangerous, but you never stop."

Weird, but okay... "Are you talking about the future?"

"Yours," Alice agreed with a nod. "It's the only thing I ever see of you. You go into the woods, over and over, and I _know_ it's important if I keep seeing it, but I don't know why."

Bella hummed, her hands falling from Alice's face, but one was scooped up by the pixie before they lost contact completely. Bella looked up into Alice's face at the sheepish, shy smile, and felt her heart flutter. "I thought you couldn't _see_ me?"

"I can't." Alice paused, shaking her head gently. "Or, I usually can't. I've only ever gotten the ones of you in the woods, which are horrifying, by the way. Thanks for the mini heart attacks. Even then, I can't actively _look_ for them, they just hit me like a brick wall. This leads me to believe that they're particularly important. Why do you go into the woods, Bella?"

"I told you, I don't know-"

Squeezing Bella's hand in one of her own, the other came up to press chilled fingers against Bella's lips. Alice smiled reassuringly, but the worry in her eyes never died out. "Don't think about it. Close your eyes." She reached up for Bella's glasses, hesitating a moment for Bella to close her eyes, and pushed them up into her hair. "Clear your mind of everything but the forest. Why do you go into the woods?"

A frown absently tugged Bella's lips down while she struggled to remember waking up in the forest. That very first moment, between reality and dreams, when she wasn't awake but she wasn't asleep. The cold water in her face, the sharp twigs under her feet, the feel of dirt against her palms, the smell of earth and woods in her nose.

"Why do you go into the woods, Bella?"

 _Trees tower above her, reaching up and up and up towards the stars and the moon. Grass folds and bends beneath her fingers, cold to the touch but for some reason she can't feel it. She tries to drag in a deep breath of crisp night air, but her lungs constrict and she's choking on warm liquid. Automatically, her hands come up, one clutching her chest over her burning lungs, the other wrapping around the smooth metal sticking out of her abdomen. A groan full of pain tears from her throat-_

"It's the only way they find me."

The words were quiet, almost monotone, and spoken like an afterthought, like a distraction and she hadn't meant to. It was often how the others described interacting with Alice during her visions, and this only confused the pixie more. "Bella?"

A dirty hand came up to rub at Bella's forehead, leaving dark streaks behind, and Bella's eyes fluttered. Alice leaned forward to quickly cup Bella's cheek, stopping her from opening her eyes. "Not yet," she whispered, feeling the heat pool beneath her palm. Her other hand reached up to gently pull the shades back down onto the bridge of Bella's nose. "Not until you're ready."

As Bella lowered her hand, she looked at it and jerked up to her feet. "Oh, I should have stayed in the foyer! I'm making a mess."

Alice was quick to follow Bella, catching her just outside of the living room. Cool fingers hooked around her elbow, and Alice was giving her an urgent look. "Bella, wait! Don't mind the mess, it's not important. You..." She paused, taking a breath and lightly shaking her head. "Bella, so much is happening right now and you're worried about a little mud? I'm pretty sure you just had a vision, you know we're not human, and I think we should discuss just _what_ you saw. It's the only way who can find you? Why are they looking for you?"

Self-conscious, Bella jerkily nodded her head while she chewed on her lip, glancing down to meet Alice's eyes."I don't know what I saw," she said quietly. "The woods. Blood. I don't know what it means other than I'm sure as hell staying away from there, even if I have to strap myself down at night. I don't want to talk about it because my mind is actively being blown, okay? I need to suppress and then deal with it before I can talk about it. And I've _known_ you aren't human for so long now. Honestly, I think part of me always knew, right from the beginning."

"Don't you want to know what we are?" Alice asked curiously.

Bella rolled her eyes, a playful smile on her lips. "Of course I do, I've been dying to know, Alice." This was much easier to focus on than... _that._ She gently pulled her arm free from Alice's loose grip and slid her hand around the cooler one, lacing their fingers. "I'm just waiting for you to tell me. When you're ready."

"It's not just my secret to tell," Alice said guiltily, staring down at her feet.

A breeze carried into the room in Jessica's wake, the taller girl stopping abruptly next to the two of them. Her brown curls bounced and the smile on her face was radiant. Her eyes glanced Bella up and down and her brows furrowed with amused confusion. "What's with the leather wristbands?"

"I like to look badass, even when I sleep." Bella shrugged.

The exchange was odd, borderline awkward, and Bella seemed a little too casual and quick with her answer, but Jessica let it go all the same. "We each give you our blessing, Alice," she chimed happily. She tilted her head to the side, eyes sparkling with mischief, and gave her sister a look. "And our permission to tell her. Make it quick though, she needs a hot shower."

The statement was punctuated with her wrapping a giant fluffy towel around Bella and blurring back out of the hall again. Left in silence, the two stared at each other, Bella with curiosity, and Alice looking like she should be blushing. The pixie sighed, lightly shaking her head, and glanced down the hallway her sister disappeared in. "So cocky for the short amount of time you've been here," she muttered under her breath and looked up at her companion again. "Well, I suppose we have a conversation ahead of ourselves, but it can wait. Esme and I agree you need to shower first before you catch a cold or something worse."

As if to agree with her, Bella's body shivered violently and she pulled the towel tighter around herself. Her thin pyjama pants and tank top did nothing to keep the heat in, and after her trip in the creek, she was surprised her teeth weren't chattering. "If that's what you want," Bella said distractedly as she fought the tremble overtaking her body.

"It's what's best," Alice countered with a lilt in her voice, her eyes dancing with amusement. She watched the taller girl trying to play as though she were fine and rolled her eyes, tugging Bella towards the spiralling staircase in the front foyer. "One of the bathrooms is right across the hall from my room, where I will meet you when you're done. Feel free to use any soap, shampoo, and conditioner you find, and I'll scrounge up some of Rose's clothes for you to wear."

Her entire body twitching at the blonde's name, Bella froze in the middle of the hallway just a few feet away from the bathroom. Her hand in Alice's tightened and she forced the smaller girl to stop too. "Wait! I can't wear her clothes!"

"Why not?" Alice asked with a raised eyebrow, confusion on her face.

Cheeks were stained red and golden eyes darkened to a burning amber, Bella awkwardly shuffling her feet. "Um, because." When Alice only looked more confused, Bella sighed deeply. "She... she doesn't like me, okay? I can't wear her clothes."

"Nonsense," Alice countered with a shake of her head. She continued to the bathroom, opening the door to the grand, porcelain palace and gestured Bella inside. "You're not quite as tall as Rose, but you're closest in size. So unless you want to wear Edward's clothes, you don't have any options."

"But you admit Rosalie doesn't like me."

A huff escaped those lovely red lips Bella struggled not to stare at, Alice's eyes rolling up to the ceiling. "I admit nothing. Rosalie doesn't _not_ like you, Bella, she just... she's a little abrasive. If anyone can understand that, it's you."

A surprised chuckle forced its way from Bella, whose eyes widened beneath the glasses. "Me?"

"Yes, you. Don't play oblivious, you know your effect on people. It's why you're only friends with Lauren and Michael. You can't walk around all day _scowling_ at your classmates, verbally decimate them when they engage conversation with you, and think you're a _people person."_

Bottom lip jutting out in a pout that had Alice holding back her coo, Bella dropped her towel on the counter by the shower. "I have other friends. Jake, Quil, and Embry."

"How long has it been since you've spoken with them?" Alice asked gently, genuinely curious. She knew it was a sore subject for Bella and had been reluctant to bring it up, but she was still concerned.

One of Bella's shoulders lifted and fell in a jagged shrug as she pointedly folded the towel. "Couple weeks," she muttered with a shake of her head. "I guess you're right, just Lauren and Mike for me."

"Bella-"

"If I have no options, then I guess I'll take Rosalie's clothes. Tell her thank you for me, I doubt I'd get the chance."

With that, Bella turned and stepped into the shower, closing the glass door behind her so she could peel off her cold, soggy clothes. She waited until the bathroom door closed before turning on the shower, letting the hot water drag away the stress of the night.

Bella sighed deeply, feeling the pounding of the water working out all the kinks in her muscles, the steam in the room heavy and blotting out the rest of the world until it was just Bella and the heat. No Jake, no Cullens, no weird dreams and sleepwalking, no changing eyes and weird neck marks, no headaches that left her almost paralyzed. Just the hot water, leaving her warm and clean and... better than she was.

There was an assortment of soap, shampoo, and conditioners on any space open in the shower. Old Spice, Axe, and Addidas she assumed belonged to some of the guys in the family, while the other more colourful ones she _knew_ Alice had to use. Especially the one with the pink hippo in a yellow polka-dot dress on the bottle. That one was definitely Alice's, she could feel it in her gut.

Part of Bella wanted to use that, knowing it was the safest choice. Alice wouldn't mind one bit, and probably expected her to use it. But her eye was dragged back to a tall purple bottle she hadn't seen since her days in Phoenix, and she lit up eagerly. As far as Bella knew, the company had discontinued her _absolute favourite_ brand of Ooh La La Lavender shampoo, conditioner, and body soap.

Slippery fingers popped open the lid on the shampoo and Bella took a deep breath, her lips curling up in a smile. Perfect. She'd missed it so much and with it, came the pain of missing Renee. Perhaps she'd call later that night, knowing no matter what time it was, her mother would pick up.

Bella breathed in the lavender scent again and let out a happy little sigh.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

By the time she got out of the shower, there was a stack of clothes next to a big grey towel on the counter. Black silk pyjama shorts and a red shirt, it was simple. Nothing too fancy, and Bella felt better. If, God forbid, something happened and she ripped or spilled something on them, they wouldn't be irreplaceable.

Still, she felt kind of naked stepping out of the washroom into the lone hallway, awkwardly pulling at the shorts. So short. Sighing, Bella walked across the hall and knocked on the door, remembering Alice saying that her bedroom was right there.

"Come in, Bella."

Alice's voice carried through the door and did wonders easing Bella's nerves. She pushed the door open and slid inside, letting it close behind her again, so she could look around the room.

It wasn't exactly what she was expecting, especially after the shampoo bottle. Alice's room was very... well, what she'd expect Rosalie's room to be, actually. Where she expected fuzzy carpets for Alice, there was actually cherry oak hardwood floors so polished she could almost see her reflection. The walls were black, while the ceiling was a deep, deep maroon, the furniture all either mahogany or dark oak, with brilliant crimson cushions and sheets. There was a leather couch in one of the corners by the window, with a grand bed in the opposite corner. Bookshelves, a desk, what looked like a walk in closet. All along the walls, in the most aesthetically pleasing places, were large black and white photos that looked to be taken by Alice herself.

She remembered someone mentioning the pixie's photography passion, perhaps it was Ben or Angela.

All in all, it was wonderful, a dark mix of victorian and contemporary styles. Bella suddenly felt a little self-conscious about her very ordinary bedroom.

"What are you thinking about?" Alice asked from her spot on the enormous bed.

Bella glanced over and couldn't stop the smile again. The girl was tiny, it looked like she could drown in all those red sheets and blankets. "I like your room."

"I'm glad." A brilliant smile pulled Alice's lips up, her golden eyes lighting up with happiness. She patted the bed in front of her and Bella climbed up. Alice looked around the four walls, her grin fading into a soft smile. "You're the first person I've invited into my room in a long, long time. Only Esme's been in here before."

"How come?"

A delicate looking shoulder rose and fell, Alice playing with the hem of her shirt. "Bedrooms are very personal when you think about it. Perfectly tailored to who you are, what you want, what you like. It's almost the visual equivalent of your personality. Gives you a sense of protection, of privacy, where you're safe to just _be_ you, all of you, without holding anything back. It's _your_ space, you know? I guess I'm more of a private person than I let on, I don't want people just... coming and going through here."

"I get it," Bella agreed. Those golden eyes flickered up to her curiously and she nodded, looking around the room. "I mean, my room isn't really like that for me. Just a place for me to lay my head, but I can see that about your room. I can see _you_ in it, and I get why you don't want people to just pry into your personal space. Rip it open, look at it all out in the open, and walk off. Seems almost like a violation."

"Bella."

"Yes?"

"You're wonderful."

"Oh." She blushed and looked away, awkwardly coughing. "Um, thanks. You too."

Alice grinned, rolling her eyes, and fell back against the big red pillows. She patted the spot next to her until she felt Bella crawling up to the headboard, and flopped down next to her. It was a struggle not to scoot close and snuggle up in that delightful warmth she could feel radiating off of her friend. Instead, she took in a deep breath and let it out in an airy sigh. "So that's why I had to keep buying it."

"Hm?"

"The lavender shower supplies," Alice replied thoughtfully, staring up at the ceiling. "I have... _so much_ , from buying it throughout the years. Every time I saw it when I went shopping for my own, or for the others, I had to buy it."

"Why?"

"I saw myself buying it, or if I tried to leave without it, my gut would flip. It does that sometimes. I don't always get a vision, sometimes just... a feeling. I knew I had to buy it, but nobody ever uses it in the shower. I thought I was going a little crazy there, just _buying_ all these lavender shower supplies."

Bella turned her head to look at the pixie who appeared to be really, thoroughly amused. She wondered just how long Alice had been buying it without knowing why. Bella chuckled and saw Alice's shoulders shake with silent laughter. "It's my favourite," she finally said. "They stopped making it about a year ago, and I've been stuck with this... strawberry shit since then. It's not bad, I guess, but I've missed the lavender."

Turning her head as well, Alice gazed across the red pillow at Bella. She studied her reflection in the shades on Bella's face, took in the content smile on her face, the glow of happiness in her own eyes, and wondered how she hadn't realized it before. How she never noticed just how empty she'd been. Or, maybe that wasn't true. She wasn't _empty_ , she had her family, her passions and hobbies, she had a life, but something had been missing. She'd had an empty spot, a void that ached.

And now that void was gone, was quickly being filled by Bella. Filling all the cracks between her other loved pieces, tying them together, making them stronger than they were before. It was exhilarating, it was new and exciting, and it was terrifying.

"We fit," she said quietly, suddenly, without really thinking about it. Bella had that effect on her. She watched a dark brow raise over the glasses and smiled, biting the corner of her lip. "You and I, we fit together."

"What, like puzzle pieces?"

It was a little sarcastic but Alice was used to that from Bella by now. "If I said yes, would you judge me?"

"Almost definitely," Bella agreed with a laugh. "But I'd judge myself too because I was thinking it just before you said it."

Alice looked away first and Bella sighed softly, looking back up at the ceiling. If she squinted through the soft light of the lamp across the room, she could see patterns in the brush strokes on the ceiling. Entrancing swirls that were drawing Bella in, in, in. "Alice, you don't have to tell me."

There was a quick intake of breath from Alice's side of the bed, and Bella bit her lip. She hadn't meant to just blurt that out, she wanted to approach it more gently than that. Obviously, Alice was struggling with it, given their discussion of shampoo.

"I want to."

"Are you sure?" she asked, giving the pixie an out.

A chilly hand slid into her own, their fingers lacing together. "Yes, Bella. I'm just scared, but you need to know. Whatever happens after, and believe me when I say I've never said that before, you deserve to know now." Alice squeezed Bella's hand gently, closing her eyes. "I'm a vampire."

There. It was out in the open, an answer to the burning question that had been haunting Bella since she first laid eyes on the Cullen clan.

Honestly, it wasn't what she was expecting, even if it wasn't far off. And while it was totally unbelievable because, really, vampires? Like from a book or a movie? Vampires. Suck your blood, burn in the sunlight, sleep in a coffin, vampires. It still wasn't that far fetched, not after watching Jacob quite literally _explode_ into a giant wolf. Not after watching her own eyes shift colours faster than a chameleon.

So, all she could do was accept Alice's admission as truth. She was a vampire.

Alice Cullen was a vampire.

Bella Swan was in bed with the vampire Alice Cullen.

"Huh."

Alice's eyes fluttered open, her brows furrowed. She tilted her head to the side and glanced at Bella again, who was still staring up at the ceiling, looking deep in thought. "Huh?" she echoed.

"A vampire, you say?" Bella finally asked, lifting their joined hands above them to look at. It was a little cliche, and even more cheesy, but they did fit together perfectly. "I guess that makes sense."

"You guess that makes sense?" Alice asked, sitting up abruptly. She looked down at Bella with a frustrated scowl. "That's it? You just accept it? I'm a vampire, whoop-dee-doo? Are you not scared? Are you not confused? You're not put off?"

"Nope."

Golden eyes narrowed as Alice scrutinized Bella's face, leaning in close. "Are you serious? Are you in denial? Do you not know what a vampire is? Why is there no screaming?"

"Screaming? Has anyone ever screamed before when you told them?" Bella asked with a chuckle, also sitting up.

Alice pouted gruffly at Bella's lighthearted reaction. "I've never told anyone before."

"What?" The smile dropped from Bella's face. "You... you've never told anyone before? Not _anyone_? Just me?"

"Sure, that's the part you freak out over," Alice scoffed with a shake of her head. She pulled her hand from Bella's, bringing her knees up to her chest, and wrapped her arms around them. She rested her chin on one knee and stared thoughtfully at the girl before her. The confusing, curious girl. "I've never felt the need to before you. I've been with other people, humans that is, throughout the decades. Living forever can get dreadfully boring and lonely, and unlike Edward, I saw no issue with dallying in romances. A fling here, a romantic getaway there, with dating and dancing and laughter in between."

Unable to look Alice in the eye while she asked, Bella drew patterns on her leg with her fingertips. "With men or women?"

"Both," Alice replied hesitantly. "Does that bother you?" She watched Bella shrug noncommittally and sighed, reaching out and taking one of those warm hands again. "They never meant anything to me. Or... well, that's unkind to say, they meant something to me, but not as deeply as you do. They were fun, but I was okay keeping them at a distance, or dropping out of their lives without so much as a second thought. I can't do that with you, Bella."

Finally, Bella looked up at Alice, a ghost of a smile pulling at her lips. She squeezed Alice's hand in hers. "I'm glad."

"I want you to know what I am," Alice said seriously, her eyes anxious. "Because I want you to know who I am. I want you to know all of me, Bella."

Bella nodded, holding Alice's gaze even if the other girl couldn't see it. "So, vampires live forever, do they?"

The heavy atmosphere was exchanged for a more lighthearted one, that did wonders for easing both girls' nerves. Alice smiled happily, relaxing back against the wall behind her, and nodded. "Sort of. We're not truly immortal, but we don't age, we don't get sick, we're immune to disease. We can only be killed, we'll never die naturally."

"How old are you?"

Alice batted her eyelashes, reaching out to tap Bella's thigh. "Don't you know it's impolite to ask a lady her age?"

"A thousand pardons, m'lady," Bella bowed as best she could in that position, "t'was not my intention to offend. How old are you?"

"I've been like this for ninety-seven years, and I look about nineteen, so around one hundred and sixteen?" Alice ventured a guess.

Again, Bella nodded, but her mouth was hanging open. "Yeah, I suppose I would lose track after the first century, too."

"Vampires have perfect memories," Alice corrected with a cheeky smile. "It's why my family does so well in school, even with new material and subjects. Memories from when we're human are fuzzy or murky, they take work to dig up and remember correctly, and many are just too... the others say it's like trying to watch TV with too much static. I, however, have absolutely no memories from when I was human. Carlisle thinks either I was already an amnesiac or there were special circumstances when I was bitten."

Oh. Bella frowned, unable to even imagine what it must be like to have lost such a large, important chunk of one's life. It was who she was before this, how she became this way, her family before the Cullens, her life before vampirism. Vital information that was taken from her. "I'm sorry, Alice."

"It's fine," Alice said quickly with a shake of her head. "I love my life now, I would not trade it for anything in the world, and while I wish I could remember my other one, I'm thankful to at least have this one. Perhaps one day it will all come rushing back, or I will get a clue that will help me discover more, but for now, I am content."

Bella wanted to say more, wanted to do _something_ to put that light back in Alice's sad eyes. Really, she wanted to do anything _but_ yawn as big as she did, her body obnoxiously reminding her of the late hour and how tired she was. "Sorry," she repeated again, slapping her cheeks to try and wake herself up more.

With a giggle, Alice gracefully rolled across the bed and shot up to her feet. "It's late, Bella, you need your rest. You've had an eventful night, and we can talk more in the morning if you like."

"Oh shit!" Bella gasped, her hand flying up to her mouth. "Charlie is going to have a heart attack when he wakes up and I'm not there!"

Alice held out her hand to stop Bella from getting up, shaking her head with wide golden eyes. "No, it's okay! Esme called your house until he picked up. She told him I was having teenage troubles and was very upset, and that you snuck out to console me. She caught us, reprimanded us, and you're staying the night because it's much too late to drive you home."

"Oh. That's..." her brows furrowed as she took this all in. "That's really helpful and cool of her."

Another giggle escaped from those perfect red lips and Bella soaked up the sound, music to her ears. "We're all adults here, Bella, and bedtimes aren't high on the priority list."

"I feel like I'm missing a joke, but okay," Bella agreed. She yawned again and flopped back into the pillows, sliding her legs under the blankets this time. "Where are you going?"

Alice stopped just before the door, looking back and tilting her head. "I was going to give you some privacy while you slept."

"I'm not kicking you out of your own bed, Alice. We can share or I can move to a couch," Bella huffed with a roll of her eyes.

A soft smile pulled at Alice's lips. "Vampires don't sleep."

"Oh."

There was a pause after that, so long that Alice wondered if Bella fell asleep, or was on the verge. The room was silent, save for the quiet ticking of the watches in a drawer in her closet. Alice turned out the lamp light and gripped the door knob.

"That's the joke, isn't it?"

Alice jumped, not at all expecting that. She smiled, slightly breathlessly, and felt the exhilaration of not knowing, once again. Surprises were actually quite nice, she'd been missing out all these years. "Yes, Bella."

The girl rolled to one side of the bed and pulled the blankets back, her heartbeat even and breathing slow. She was on the verge of falling asleep, Alice could tell now. "I was gonna think of something charming to get you in this bed, but I'm really sleepy and just want to be near you still."

"I happen to find that very charming," Alice said quietly, blurring across the room. She stopped beside the bed, shifting from foot to foot nervously. "I'm... fairly cool to the touch though."

Bella patted the bed in front of her. "I'm warm."

" _I know,"_ Alice purred. She peeled off her outer layers and jewellery faster than Bella could blink, sliding into the covers in her shirt and underwear. "Last chance to kick me out."

"Never," Bella hummed, snaking her arms around the cool, petite waist and pulling Alice close. A heartbeat passed and she made a show of shivering, a grin sliding onto her face. "Damn, Alice, you're making me cold!"

Unable to see the grin, Alice began stirring in her arms and trying to pull herself away. "I warned you! I just-"

"I'm kidding! Stop wiggling, I'm just kidding," Bella laughed until she wrestled Alice close again. She rested her chin on a stony shoulder, her nose buried in jet black spikes. "Alice?"

"Hm?"

"There are only four people on this planet I don't wear my glasses around, that I don't feel anxious or scared or embarrassed without them on." Bella paused, letting out a deep, tired sigh. "Can you put them up on your bedside table?"

"Of course," Alice replied in a whisper as she spun in warm arms. She gently slid the glasses down Bella's nose, pulling them off her face, and reached out to set them down.

Bella snuggled closer to the pixie, not so worried about bending her glasses anymore. She kept her eyes closed and hummed happily. "I want to show you, but... but I'm not ready."

"I promise I won't look." Alice brushed Bella's hair back out of her face, running her thumb along the warm cheekbone, just under her closed eye. "Not until you're ready."

Another quiet moment passed as Alice studied Bella's sleepy, peaceful face and Bella struggled to stay awake just a little while longer. "People have seen them, but you're the only one I've ever chosen to show."

"Goodnight, Bella," Alice whispered against her cheek, pressing her lips against it in a light kiss.

"Hm... 'night, Alice."

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **I got a call about an interview for a job that's hopefully better than my current one, and I'm pretty excited. Thought I'd share the excitement by posting another chapter.**

 **Don't you all just love Esme? I just love Esme. And I like how she was just super casual about everything, not even bothering to hide her true nature. I feel like Esme called a family meeting earlier that day and was like "where is my human? These secrets are tearing this family apart and I'll have none of it. Someone tell the human and bring her here." Little did she know, Fate was on her side.**

 **Cloud, I know I said I was gonna tease Rosella. This wasn't it. JUST WAIT.**

 **Lir, yes, of course, if you make an account I will straight up send you an entire document telling you what Bella is, if that's what you want.**

 **Kelly, ;)**

 **Firenubs, I see the caps addiction is going around.**

 **Izobelle, I love their passive aggressive friendship too!**

 **I'd ramble more but these a/n are getting out of control and I'm trying to restrain myself.**

 **peace,**

 **Paige**


	10. Chapter 10

**CULLEN FAMILY** : Esme and Carlisle. Rosalie and Emmett. Jasper and Victoria. Edward. Alice. Wensley and Jessica.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Twilight.

 **Rated:** T.

 **Author:** xPaige Turnerx

 **Summary:** COMPLETED AND WAITING TO POST. "Trust me, dating a vampire and having a wolf for a brother are the LEAST complicated aspects of my life. Every now and then my nose reenacts the elevator scene from The Shining, and I randomly wake up in the woods. Normal was shot to Hell a long time ago."

" _At the center of your being_

 _you have the answer;_

 _you know who you are_

 _you know what you want."_

 _-Lao Tzu_

The next morning Bella awoke rather violently, decidedly luminous yellow eyes popping open wide as she sprung up into a sitting position. Her chest heaved with the labour of pulling in each breath, heart hammering against her ribcage painfully so. She exhaled in a shudder, running a hand through her damp hair, her forehead covered in the barest sheen of sweat.

 _Where am I?_

The room was more and more familiar as her gaze shifted around the four walls, and the previous night came rushing back all at once.

Waking up in the woods.

More officially, and yet still unofficially, meeting Mrs Cullen.

Alice stuck in her visions.

The shower.

Alice _finally_ telling her the truth.

Alice being a vampire.

 _All_ the Cullens being vampires.

She was... well, human as far as she knew, but even that wasn't totally certain these days, in a house full of bloodthirsty vampires. "Holy shit," she breathed. She'd shared a bed with a vampire all night long. Vampires drink blood. Vampires _drink_ blood. Vampires drink _blood_. It was all she could think as she got up from the bed, stretching her limbs and slipping her glasses on.

"You're a very interesting person to watch sleep, you know," Alice's voice startled her so much she jumped, her head whipping up to find the source. Alice strolled into her room, the door swinging closed behind her as she walked to the closet. She barely spared Bella a second glance, pausing in front of the closet to tap her chin thoughtfully. "Although, I suppose all humans are. I've never watched anyone else sleep before... not that I was _watching_ you!"

Those golden eyes were wide, Alice's face embarrassed and Bella honestly expected a blush to follow. Yet those perfect porcelain looking cheeks remained ever pale. She shrugged her shoulders and crossed her arms, unreasonably uncomfortable this morning. _Actually, I think it's perfectly reasonable, given the situation._ "I-I don't mind. I _did_ invite you, after all, and it's not like you were sitting in the corner of the room being a creep all night. I just hope I didn't do anything embarrassing?"

Seemingly placated, Alice flashed her a brilliant smile that made Bella forget at least a couple reasons why she was feeling awkward. "No, nothing to be embarrassed about," she murmured, disappearing into the closet. "You talk quite a bit, or more accurately, _mumble_ all night. You're very... affectionate in your sleep, too, when you're not stretching. So much stretching, it's like your body is restless or bored while your mind rests."

"Doesn't sound too bad," Bella muttered to herself as relief washed over her.

Alice poked her head out of the closet with a wicked grin on her face. "You kept saying my name."

"O-Oh." Well, maybe a little bad. Bella felt her cheeks flush.

Finally, Alice fully emerged from the closet, dressed anew in pristine, perfectly tailored clothes that looked fresh from the runway. Minus her trademark heels, of course, and she was so tiny Bella had to bite her lip from telling her how cute she looked. Alice was in front of her in an instant, her chilly hands cooling off Bella's flaming cheeks. "Despite the fear of sounding positively creepy, I should tell you just how delicious you smell, Bella."

"Um... thanks?"

Alice's smile widened, amusement dancing in her golden eyes. "It's as much a compliment as it is a warning, I'm afraid. I know you can't control your blush, and while I find it terribly endearing, it amplifies your scent tenfold. Nobody under this roof will ever harm you, but that doesn't mean you can't make it difficult."

Heart sinking into her toes, Bella backed away until Alice's hands fell from her face. She scratched the back of her neck, while her other hand rubbed at her cheek. "Oh, sorry! I didn't... I'll try not to blush, or... keep my distance?"

"No!" Alice gasped lightly, dancing forwards again but refraining from taking Bella's hands. She shook her head, looking up at the fumbling, awkward teenager. "Not me, Bella, it doesn't bother me. I always hunt before I'm around you, and I've been around you more than the others, closer than the others. I've built up a... tolerance. That sounds unpleasant, like I couldn't stand you before. This is coming out all wrong. I _like_ the way you smell, sometimes a little too much, but I would never hurt you. I would never let anyone hurt you, and I'm _used_ to your scent by now. It doesn't affect me like it would some of the others. You're absolutely fine around Carlisle, Esme, Jessica, Emmett, and Edward to a degree, but the others just aren't used to it yet."

Watching Alice closely, a little in disbelief at how frazzled Alice appeared these last few hours because the pixie was usually a bundle of confidence and bubbly giddiness. This nervous, uncertain side of her was new, was sweet, but Bella didn't know how to handle it. "I get it, that makes sense, actually. Don't jump Jasper in the hallways, got it."

"Yes," Alice agreed with a giggle. "Please don't jump my brother or anyone but me for that matter." Bella's eyebrows shot up just as Alice realized what she said. Golden eyes widened and the pixie turned on her heel, so quickly her image blurred. "So, Esme is downstairs in the kitchen making you a feast for breakfast, eagerly awaiting a proper introduction. I told her I would come get you and be right down."

Bella nodded, following Alice to the door and hesitating. "Um, pants?"

"Right," Alice nodded, turning back to look at her. Bella noticed those golden eyes darken very faintly as they were dragged up her legs. "Your pyjama pants were torn at the heels and stained pretty bad. Wensley _refused_ to let us even attempt to salvage them, and he offers his condolences. I'm afraid you're stuck with my shorts until you get home."

"Your shorts?" Bella echoed, surprised.

Alice shrugged and led her out into the hallway, towards the staircase. "You seemed... distraught at the idea of sharing Rosalie's clothes, and she didn't put up much of a fight when I told her to keep her pyjamas. So I got you my shorts, and borrowed one of Esme's shirts."

"That explains why they're so small," Bella mumbled, pulling at the end of the shorts again. She fixed them when they reached the bottom of the stairs, and followed Alice towards the source of the most delicious smell she'd ever smelled. "Guess I get to meet the rest of your family half naked then. Awesome."

This time Alice let out more than a giggle, her laughter was a unique melody that made Bella's heart beat faster in her chest as they entered the kitchen. "I'm glad you're tiptoeing out of that uncomfortable rut you were in this morning, coming full circle to your usual sarcastic self." She stuck her tongue out at Alice, which only made the pixie laugh harder. "You won't be seeing everyone today, anyway. Carlisle is at work, Rosalie is hiding away in the garage, Jasper, Victoria, and Jessica are all out hunting."

Hunting? Did that mean...? Holy shit. Vampires. Intense, that was intense! "Hunting? C-cool," Bella nodded, trying to seem just that. She tried to casually look around the room, unable to meet anyone's eye. "In town or... do you guys, like, go to Seattle where it's less obvious?"

Multiple heads tilted in the kitchen, confusion clear on their faces. Esme turned to face her from the stove, a spatula in one hand while the other was on her hip. Her furrowed brows suddenly shot up to her hairline, wide amber eyes flickering down to her daughter. "Alice Cullen! Did you not tell Bella we feed on animals and not people?!"

A boisterous guffaw turned into chortling laughter in the corner of the room, Emmett shaking his head and leaning on the table he was setting. The giant's massive shoulders shook while Alice's mouth dropped open in an 'O' shape, and looked up at her quickly. "You thought we eat people? This whole time, since I told you I'm a vampire last night, you thought I drank human blood?"

"Well... maybe?" Bella said with a shrug of her shoulders, her voice raising at the end. "I dunno, man, you said vampires. Vampires drink blood, I assumed it was human. Never considered animals."

Her elegant little brows furrowed and Alice stared curiously up at Bella. "And you still wanted to sleep with me?"

Another round of laughter erupted from Emmett's chest. "Way to go, Ali-Cat!"

" _Emmett!"_ she hissed, turning a scowl on her brother. "I didn't mean it like that, you bafoon."

He scoffed, crossing his arms over his broad chest. "We don't sleep, what else could it mean?"

" _She_ slept, I just held her. We cuddled, if you must know."

"Ohhh, you _cuddled_ ," he drawled with a roll of his eyes, his tone bored and sarcastic. "How exciting. Give me all the dirty details."

Alice huffed, hands on her hips as she glared defiantly at her brother. "It _was_ exciting, I'll have you know."

"I bet."

"It was! Not everything needs to be sexual to have value or meaning to people."

"No, of course not. Tepid is the new hot, yeah? That's what all the romance movies are selling these days."

"Emmett!"

"Someone call the pope, these lesbians were holding hands!"

"Damn it, Emmett! Stop insinuating that we're boring."

"I didn't say boring, I just implied a lack of passion. Some folks go for that."

Alice stomped her foot in a childish but undeniably cute way. "She moaned my name!"

"Alice!" Esme reprimanded when Bella gasped, her hands flying up to her mouth as if she could go back in time and stop herself from doing just what Alice said. Embarrassment burned her fiery cheeks again, and she took a step back away from the room instinctively after Alice's warning.

Flinching back, Alice looked over her shoulder at Bella. She bit her lip, blurring over to the girl, and hesitated in her reach for Bella's hand again. She didn't know if it would comfort the taller girl or make her feel worse. "Sorry! I'm sorry, Bella, I shouldn't have said that. It's private and definitely _none_ of Emmett's business." She aimed a glare at the giant boy, a surprisingly feral sounding growl rumbling from her chest.

Okay.

So when Alice said she didn't say anything embarrassing in her sleep, she obviously _lied._ Although, in all fairness, Alice had only said Bella didn't say anything she should feel embarrassed about. Tricky little minx.

Upside; Alice didn't seem to mind Bella moaning her name. The thought sent a foreign but ultimately delightful tingle through her body that settled in the bottom of her stomach. In fact, Alice seemed a tad proud of it.

Downside; the whole kitchen now knew Bella had moaned Alice's name.

The silence that had fallen over the kitchen was shattered when Emmett began chuckling again, going back to setting the table. He flashed Bella a grin when she caught his eye. "Guess I don't have to ask how well you slept last night, eh?"

"Emmett Cullen," Esme chided, even as her own eyes sparkled with humour. "Finish putting out the fruit and begone, mister. If you can't behave politely then maybe you'll find your manners up in your room."

Watching the sulking giant drag his feet out of the kitchen, past the girls, and to the stairs, Bella couldn't help but snicker. Especially when he stepped onto the first stair and looked back at them, giving everyone the most pitiful looking puppy dog eyes she'd ever seen. Esme crossed her arms, tapping her foot impatiently, and his shoulders fell, slinking up the rest of the stairs.

Bella leaned down towards Alice's ear while the rest of the kitchen got back to their work. "I thought you were all adults here?"

"Yes, but only Esme is the mom," Alice giggled.

There was obnoxious stomping once Emmett reached the floor that held his room, and each pair of eyes in the kitchen looked up to the ceiling. "Rosie would have laughed!" his muffled voice shouted.

"Only because she hates Isabella." Everyone looked up to the corner of the room curiously, where a tall, thin man was leaning against the wall. His arms were crossed, fingers digging into biceps almost painfully looking, a scowl on his face that rivalled Rosalie's. His ashen hair, trimmed short except for the gravity-defying top that was pulled back in an elastic, and pale skin was a stark contrast to the blacks and greys he wore, making the red tie stand out and draw the eye. Everything about this man screamed no nonsense or downright fury. He looked like an enraged angel, burning amber eyes smouldering with an intensity that made Bella step backwards again.

Esme tsked, clicking her tongue and slapped the spatula down onto the counter with a crack. Edward and Alice winced, while the young man's eyes remained on Bella, pinning her to the spot. "Wensley," Esme began in an annoyed voice that sliced through the air. "How horrendously rude of you. Apologize to Bella and leave, this instant. I will not have our guest attacked like this, not one second longer."

After a few tense moments, those eyes finally lifted from Bella to meet Esme's. They didn't soften, not exactly, but something shifted. Something dulled out, and his stance wasn't as rigid. He released his death grip on his arms and let his hands slide into his pockets. "I might just go open up the library early today then," he agreed in a smooth voice.

He was halfway out of the room, perfectly content to just breeze past everyone else when a hiss sounded from Esme's side of the room. He halted a few feet away from Bella, too close for comfort, so she sidled up closer to Alice. Alice, whose eyes were impossibly black, hands clenched into fists and looked to be restraining herself as she glared at the man. Esme's voice was no longer annoyed, but angry, and Bella just really, truly wished she were home in her own bed. "Apologize to Bella. Now."

"No," he stuck his chin in the air and out of the corner of her eye, Bella could see Edward's face morph into shock, "I don't think I will. She's endangering us all, so casually, so simply, and you're all helping her do so even more easily. Forgive me if I refuse to lend a hand to her as she digs our graves, Esme. I will not _make nice_ with a threat to my mate, my family."

Alice blurred into his path, forcing him to stop and look at her. Again, though his face didn't soften, he seemed to hesitate. "You know it's more complicated than that!" she hissed at him.

"Then let me simplify it for you, Alice," he said quietly, his voice monotone and borderline bored. "Bite her or kill her, before the Volturi decide for you."

And with that, he was out of the room in the blink of an eye. Bella heard an engine rumble to life outside, and let out the breath she'd been holding. She rubbed her hand up and down her arm, drowning in the awkward silence, and looked around the room. Only Alice, Esme, and Edward were left. This was definitely not going as well as she hoped.

Especially considering she still wasn't wearing any pants.

Esme leaned against her hands on the counter, hanging her head with a dejected sigh. "Monsters. I've raised little monsters," she muttered. She sighed again and looked up, her face sad and beseeching. "Bella, I am so terribly sorry for all of that. Emmett's relentless teasing, Wensley's hurtful words. You're not catching my family at their best."

"Hah," Edward scoffed, tossing Bella a playful wink that lifted her spirits. "Speak for the others, Esme, I'm always at my best. _Some_ of us were born in a more sophisticated era."

Seemingly doing the trick, a little smile hooked Esme's lips up and she went back to finishing up breakfast. "Of course, dear. How could I forget, what with all the reminders. Bella, I know this is way too much food, but I got carried away. Is it alright if I send most of it home with you? We have no need for it here."

"Sure," Bella said with a shrug, shuffling towards the table. "I'm sure Charlie will be tickled pink, he loves breakfast food. And dinner food. Lunch. _Brunch._ Really any food at all, the man's stomach is a bottomless pit of hunger."

Esme beamed, bringing a plate over to the table and sitting at the head. "Excellent! I will have more excuses to use my lovely kitchen in the future, then. I simply adore baking, Bella."

"This is delicious," Bella mumbled around her food, covering her mouth as to not be rude. "I, uh, I guess you guys don't eat people food then?"

The chair next to Bella's was pulled out and up right next to hers, Alice perching in it and offering Bella a tight smile. Her eyes were still mostly black, with the thinnest ring of honey around the pupils that might have been growing bigger if Bella studied them close enough. Esme nodded, picking at the bouquet of flowers in the middle of the table. "No, our bodies cannot digest food, and our venom makes everything taste bland. Liquids are fine, though we get nothing from them, other than blood, so it's not really worth stomaching the taste. Still, I quite enjoy cooking."

"She's all over the food aspect of events, fundraisers, and just parties at the hospital and schools," Edward informed her as he sat across the table. "Every holiday, she cooks up a mighty feast, and donates it to local soup kitchens and homeless shelters."

Bella nodded. "I can vouch just how lucky they are, then," she said as she finished up her plate. It was a little weird, having these people watching her eat, but eventually, she managed to ignore them and just enjoy the food. She could feel how tense Alice still was beside her, and knew she was at least partially to blame. There was a reason Rosalie and Wensley didn't like her, a reason Alice wasn't telling her. "This was beyond words, Mrs Cullen."

"Please, call me Esme," the motherly woman said as she preened. She scooped Bella's plate up and blurred back to the counter, packing everything up.

Edward also got to his feet, running a hand through his hair. He offered the girls one of his crooked grins. "Well, it was lovely seeing you, Bella, but Alice here wants to take you home now." Alice shot him a small scowl that he chuckled at. "If you're not by again, I'll see you at school tomorrow."

"See ya, Edward," Bella called as he left the room. She turned to Alice on her side, who was staring down at her feet with a pensive look on her face. "Time to go, I guess?"

Dark eyes glanced up at her, lips pressed together in a thin line, and it was so not Alice that it made Bella's gut flop. Alice was happy, Alice was giggles and smiles, and mischievous eyes. "I think that's best, yes," she said quietly, getting to her feet.

She helped Bella to her feet, hand sliding away as she turned for the front door. Bella quickly tightened her hold, lacing their fingers much like Alice had done the previous night. It had the desired effect; Alice paused and looked back at her curiously, the golden rings in her eyes growing even faster. Bella smiled, swinging their hands between them, and followed Alice to the front door. "It was really nice seeing you again, Esme, and I can't thank you enough for the food. For finding me in the woods, allowing me to stay in your home, calling Charlie last night."

"Oh, I'm happy to, dear," Esme said with a wave of her hand. She handed Alice the stack of Tupperware, full of food, and wrapped Bella up in a warm embrace. "Please come back soon, honey. Don't let Rosalie and Wensley put you off, the rest of us are very fond of you. They just need time."

"I'll be back later," Alice declared with a wiggle of her fingers towards Esme, and danced out the door.

A canary yellow Porsche sat in the driveway, looking shiny, impressive, and utterly expensive. Bella was afraid to breathe around it, scared she would somehow manage to ruin it just by being in its presence. Alice held open the passenger door after placing the food in the trunk, a perfect smile on her face.

As Bella slid into the leather seats, she breathed in deeply. A mixture of new, pristine car smell, and _Alice_. She smiled lazily and looked out the window, listening to the car roar to life. The trees passed by in a blur, much like the Cullens had been doing, and they were soon on the lone highway that led to the Swan residence.

The two seemed content to sit in silence, enjoying the ride as much as they enjoyed each other's company. Alice hummed now and then, along with a tune Bella could not hear, and Bella rested her eyes as she basked in the serenity of the moment.

Eventually, the trees surrounding either side of the road thinned out, and soon they were passing through town. Building after building, house after house, drawing ever closer to Bella's. She felt anxious and relieved all at once, both eager to get there and wanting to draw out this ride.

"What's your favourite colour?"

Bella prickled at the sudden question and looked over to see Alice chewing on her lip, her eyes glued to the road. She felt like she was a million miles away, though, and Bella wouldn't be surprised if she had no idea what road they were on. Still, she somehow felt safe. "Why?"

Alice let out a huff that could have been a laugh. "Most people would just answer such a simple question."

"Doesn't feel like a simple question."

She released her lip and finally glanced at Bella, looking entirely torn and Bella had no clue why. "Wensley was right. Rosalie is right. I'm risking everyone, my family, even _you_ , Bella. If the Volturi had any idea what was happening, they would rain down on us all like a cloud of death, all because I'm too selfish to walk away. I can't just leave you, I don't _want_ to leave you, Bella, but I've dragged everyone else into this, I've dragged you and your father into this, your friends down on the Res, and I don't even know your favourite colour!"

Bella frowned, turning in her seat to fully look at Alice and her death grip on the steering wheel. "It's white."

"Oh, well, now I feel _so_ much better about risking everyone's life," Alice deadpanned. A laugh bubbled up out of Bella that had even Alice fighting off a smile. She sighed deeply, violently, as if she was forcing it, and shook her head. Eventually, she gave up on trying to hold onto her scowl and looked over at Bella curiously. Her dark mood was momentarily forgotten. "Why white?"

"I'm just super, mega, supremely racist," she replied simply. Alice scoffed, reaching over to lightly slap her thigh, and Bella grinned. "I guess because it's every colour."

"Really?"

She shrugged. "In a way, involving lights and reflections. What's your favourite colour?"

"Yellow," Alice chimed, with a hand flourish. "Obviously."

"Obviously," Bella agreed sarcastically. "I would have pegged it red from your room."

Alice made a face, her eyes briefly meeting Bella's. "Red is my least favourite."

"How come?" _Then why is your room red?_

She shrugged this time, squirming in her seat like she was uncomfortable. "It reminds me of blood," she answered quietly. Bella gave her a curious look. "It's on my mind often enough, I don't need help remembering it. Sometimes you just want to feel normal, you know? Pretend you're just a regular teenager going to school, making friends, having sleepovers, going to prom, living a life. Not some creature of the night, constantly consumed with stalking its prey, filling themselves on blood, always tempted to tear into someone's neck. It's a nightmare you can easily lose yourself in."

"Are you always tempted to tear into someone's neck?" Bella asked in a whisper, wondering just where her voice went.

Alice frowned deeply. "No." Her lips twitched and she grumbled, eyes narrowing in a slight glare at the road. "Well, not always. I do pretty well keeping my instincts in check, keeping the vampire at bay. I would say I'm very near Carlisle and Esme's level, but sometimes if it's been too long since I've hunted... you all start to smell _very_ good, we'll say."

"Has that happened since you met me?"

"Never," Alice promised, looking over quickly. She locked eyes with Bella, reached over to grab a warmer hand in her own, and gave it a gentle squeeze. "I've never gambled with my thirst when it comes to you, Bella, I would never. You're always safe with me, I swear."

Bella nodded earnestly. "I believe you."

"I just really don't want you to be scared of me."

Her voice was so small, her eyes so wide and anxious, Bella's entire face softened. "Trust me, Alice, I'm only scared of you in a good way."

"A good way?" Alice repeated with a crinkled brow, confusion clear on her face.

Another blush worked its way up Bella's neck and though she wanted to crack a window for Alice, knowing that it _did_ affect her, she didn't want the pixie to think she was in any way scared about that. She just wanted to lessen the burden on her friend, but that probably wouldn't be clear to her. So she willed her blood to drain from her face, taking calming breaths. "Um, just... you know, like..." she gestured with her hands, not really sure what she was trying to get across. "Okay, like sometimes when you smile at me I feel like my heart is gonna beat right out of my chest."

"I know," Alice laughed, glancing down at Bella's shirt. "I can hear it. I'd be worried about a heart condition if Carlisle hadn't given you a clean bill of health."

Understanding dawned on Bella and she chuckled, slapping her forehead. "Super hearing?" she asked and watched Alice nod. "That makes sense, no wonder you're always looking at my chest. You can hear my heart making a fool of itself."

"Right. Yes. It's always your heart," Alice agreed quickly, her head snapping forward to stare at the red light they were stopped at. She impatiently tapped her thumbs against the steering wheel.

Bella watched all of this with narrowed, thoughtful eyes. "Why else would you stare at my-oh." She paused, head tilting to the side. " _Oh._ See? That right there! That scares me, it _terrifies_ me, but, but it also feels good. I don't want it to stop. It's a good scared."

"Good," Alice repeated with a smile curling her lips. She pulled the car in behind Charlie's police cruiser, and let the car idle as she turned to look at Bella. "I think we need to have another conversation where we get things out in the open. About us, this thing between us."

"Well for starters, I don't think we should call it a thing."

"Why?"

Bella reached for her door handle. "Because things scare me. They're very elusive and obscure, they usually fuck people up, and they never go my way."

Clearly amused, Alice could only nod as she got out of the car to help load Bella up with her food. "Deal, it's not a thing. It's, hmm, a tautology."

"It is what it is because it is what it is?" Bella asked.

Alice watched her ascend the porch with a wide smile. "Puzzle pieces," she murmured to herself. A fuzzy feeling ticked the back of her brain, and her mood was instantly soured. She huffed, a pout sliding onto her face, and stopped Bella from just walking into the house by tugging on her shirt. "Wait, I can't come in."

"Why? I think it's about time you met Charlie. He adores you and your family already, don't worry. Plus, um, I don't really want you to go," she said with a shy smile, staring down at her feet.

A whine threatened to escape Alice's lips and she let out an exasperated sigh, leaning from foot to foot. "I don't want to either," she said with as much feeling as she could, trying to let Bella know through her tone that she meant it. "I would love nothing more than to spend the day with you, Bella."

"So do that then."

She huffed, a grumble working its way up, and crossed her arms. "I can't. You're going down to the Res, and obviously I can't follow," she said and Bella looked thoroughly confused. "Oh, I guess not obviously. Vampires and shifters don't mix well, I forgot to mention. We really need to set aside some time to talk, Bella, but we're not allowed on their land, and since that night you fought with Jacob, they're not allowed here in Forks."

"Why?" Bella asked curiously. Jake was here before when she first saw him again, and even the boys picked her up from school that day.

Alice looked a little sheepish, making patterns on the porch with her toes. "I may have demanded Carlisle set new boundaries with the wolves after your scuffle. You were hurt and I just... it was all I had not to go down there myself. I settled for forbidding them from our land, to give you a safe space from them, where they can't bother you or hurt you again. If you chose to go down there and see them, you could, but they couldn't force a confrontation with you, or show up without warning. I'm sorry if I overstepped."

"No, that was," Bella bit her lip again, "that was sweet, Alice. Thank you. Why do you think I'm going to the Res, though?"

Alice shrugged, absently reaching out to run her fingers along Bella's arm, basking in the warmth and delighted at the goosebumps that arose. "I can't get visions of you, but I am attuned to you. The wolves also affect my visions, a lot like static and black spots, and it's happening right now. Sort of. More like a feeling. It's hard to explain, but I know you'll be seeing them today. Since they can't come here, that means you're going there."

"I had been toying with the thought," Bella admitted. "I know Charlie is going down there today, so I guess I'll tag along with him. I've let Jake suffer long enough, it's time to fix this."

Stepping up close, Alice searched those reflective shades for eyes she knew she wouldn't find. "Be careful, Bella. Last time you came back with stitches. I don't know if I can restrain myself again, I'm getting in deeper and deeper every day." She looked down briefly and glanced back up under her lashes, her eyes smouldering and shy at the same time. "You're too important to me."

"It'll be fine, Alice," Bella promise as her heart stuttered in her chest. She watched golden eyes flicker down to it and back up, rolling her eyes with a chuckle. "I'll be back before you know it and if you want to have a sleepover in _my_ bed this time, maybe we can talk some more tonight."

The smile on Alice's face was quite literally breathtaking, her eyes alight with immeasurable happiness. She bounced on her toes, pressing her lips to Bella's cheek and then her ear as she leaned in. "Leave your window unlocked."

And gone she was, back in her car in the blink of an eye, seconds before the house door opened and Charlie loomed over Bella. The two watched the bright car zip down the road, Bella with a giddy smile, Charlie with a bemused look. He waited until it was out of sight, his moustache twitching on his lip.

"So, you want me to ground you now or wait until you put your food down?"

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **Maz, I will _take_ that virtual hug, here's your friggin' update! I'm serious though guys, I'm not updating until next week now, I _mean it_ , so stop tempting me, you seductive sirens!**

 **Erza, I like where your mind is going, I like that you're thinking outside the box and using your imagination. You're wrong, but I like it. And who knows, you may only be wrong in this case. I'mma send _you_ a virtual hug. It's from me and Maz.**

 **Debbie Hicks, gurl, I'm for super cereal. What the fuck?**

 **Kelly, it DOES but not shampoo. Deodorant and it's _fucking gone and I'm super pissed about it._ Thanks for the well wishes for my interview. Just came back from it – it went  horribly I ended up in her _lap_ at one point! Jk, I think it went well. **

**Kurojistou, I _want_ to move to AO3 because the supercorp ship is boomin' there, dude. But I feel like a lil old granny who doesn't understand internet when I try navigating the setup. So. Idk, dude. **

**Aryalyn, _done._ Our resident weirdo is officially not a virgin (never had a girlfriend before, I touch on that in later chapters), but I'll be sure to work in how she's done the horizontal electric slide before. **

**Firenubs, I love _you_ , you sweet beautiful reviewing angel. **

**peace, my peeps**

 **Paige**


	11. Chapter 11

**CULLEN FAMILY** : Esme and Carlisle. Rosalie and Emmett. Jasper and Victoria. Edward. Alice. Wensley and Jessica.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Twilight.

 **Rated:** T.

 **Author:** xPaige Turnerx

 **Summary:** COMPLETED AND WAITING TO POST. "Trust me, dating a vampire and having a wolf for a brother are the LEAST complicated aspects of my life. Every now and then my nose reenacts the elevator scene from The Shining, and I randomly wake up in the woods. Normal was shot to Hell a long time ago."

" _At the center of your being_

 _you have the answer;_

 _you know who you are_

 _you know what you want."_

 _-Lao Tzu_

After almost an hour of trying to talk Charlie out of grounding her, Bella managed to at least negotiate a time frame and conditions. She was grounded only for the week, and apparently was allowed down at the Res still. But she couldn't have Lauren and Mike over, nor any other _mysterious friends she refused to introduce him to_ (his words that she had to roll her eyes at), and she couldn't go to their houses. The only reason she could see Jake was because Charlie knew they were fighting and wanted them to make up, and something about Jake being family so it didn't really count as hanging with friends.

Mostly Charlie just really loved Billy and Jake and could never keep Bella from them.

So she found herself sitting in the passenger seat of the cruiser as they ventured down to their lifelong friends, some old song from the fifties playing on the radio. Otherwise it was silent, and had been for about twenty minutes. Normally Bella would be completely cool with keeping the silence. She was a girl of few words and Charlie was a man of few words. The result? Very few words. This time was different though. It wasn't that she wanted to have a big conversation, in fact she was a little tired out from them after the previous night, but she felt it needed to be done. Before word got out, spread around the tiny little town, and got back to Charlie.

Not that there was, exactly, anything for the town to talk about. She and Alice were just friends, as far as everyone knew, even as far as Bella knew. Obviously there was _something_ between them, something more, something Alice hadn't been able to name in the car, but it hadn't fully blossomed, so to speak. It was still just... potential. They were still just friends, and Bella didn't know how she felt about that.

Part of her was wildly okay with it. As she said, _things_ scared her, and once you toss emotions into the mix, she was usually the first to run the opposite way. Run far, run fast, and never look back. Another thing she and Charlie had in common, according to Renee.

On the other hand, she couldn't deny the incomplete sinking feeling at the thought of her and Alice only ever being friends. Of Alice only seeing her as a friend. It churned like acid in her stomach and took the breath right out of her in a completely different way. A really, really lame way.

Tricky business, this was, and generally the kind of thing a child talks to their parents about. Renee would be all over this, she would have spotted it before Bella, pried the details out of her, and offered advice. Helpful, if not aggravating.

Charlie was the total opposite. He gave Bella all the privacy she'd ever need, never pried into her life or looked too closely unless there was a cause. Let her have her space while letting her know he was there if she needed him, but ultimately minded his own business. Bella really, _really_ appreciated that about her dad.

Right now, however, she kinda wished Renee was there to get the ball rolling.

"Dad."

Charlie blinked a few times, glancing at his kid before looking back to the road. He grunted, moustache twitching. "What'cha need, Bells?"

"I have something to tell you, I think," she said quietly, fiddling with the sleeve of her coat. Forks was officially stepping into winter now, with the lightest blanket of white covering the sleepy town. While it still rained and was entirely _too_ wet for her liking, the snow seemed to stick around. It made the roads a little hazardous and walking treacherous.

Her dad hummed, nodding his head. His eyes shifted in her general direction, but he was pretty committed to watching the road. Vampire reflexes, he did not have, so she was thankful. "I'm all ears, bud. You can tell me anything, you know that."

"Yeah, I know." She sighed, looking up to the ceiling and searching for the right words. A tactful, gentle way to put it so she could ease him into the conversation. A comfortable segue to ensure his response was at least civil. Hmm. "Raise your hand if you're gay!" she blurted out instead, lifting her hand up, and was absolutely _floored_ when Charlie did too. "Holy shit, you're gay too?!"

He laughed at that, a sharp, short bark and shook his head. "Nah, but I thought it might make you feel better," he said as his cheeks darkened.

"A little," Bella whispered to herself, her eyes wide. Well, okay. He was cool joking about it, so it couldn't bother him _that_ much. "I am, though. Gay. Me. Into the girls. Just to be clear."

Charlie nodded, the smirk of his face smoothing out into a small smile. "Yeah, I know, kiddo. Your mom called me up, jeez, it must have been three o'clock in the morning, one night when you were thirteen. Told me you were gay, demanded my opinions on the matter, gave me a lecture about stigmas and how hard your life could be, how difficult it'd get."

He chuckled, shaking his head with a wistful look, and Bella was once again reminded of how much she missed her mother. Renee was a card and a half, a fireball of bright, wild energy that Bella was surprised anyone could keep up with. She was so vibrant, so full of life and joy, so... _much_. Just so much, most times it exhausted Bella. But she was Renee, she was her mother, and she was always there for Bella. The whole _mom_ thing wasn't her strong suit, but she loved Bella so fiercely that it made up for it.

Honestly, when Bella sat down and really thought about it, she was overcome with utter disbelief and gratefulness to have landed parents like hers.

"I'll tell you what I told her, Bells. You're my kid, you're my daughter, ain't nothin' in this world or the next gonna change that. You're the single most important thing in my life, and I love everything about you. You wanna date boys, you go right ahead. You wanna date girls? Would probably make me feel a little better, 'cause I know firsthand how dumb boys can be. You're loved by me and safe under my roof, so if anybody ever dares to give ya a hard time, come tell me. I got your back, bud. Always will."

"Well you're just a big old softie under that gruff shell, aren't you?" Bella laughed as her eyes burned, feeling weights she never knew she had, lift from her chest. She bit her lip painfully, reaching over to pat her father's shoulder. "Thanks, dad."

He grunted again, a suspicious sniff he tried to hide by looking out his driver side window. "Yeah, well," he cleared his throat, "not a big deal. I know I haven't been as... eh, involved in your life as other fathers, and I'm not real good at the whole emotional thing."

"You're there when it counts," she told him sincerely, leaning against his arm and resting her head on his shoulder. "I wouldn't trade you for anybody else."

A few heartbeats of silence passed by, where the two enjoyed their connection. It wasn't often they opened up like this, especially to one another, so they let the moment last... as long as they could, at least. It still got a little uncomfortable after a while and Charlie huffed playfully. "You're still grounded, ya know."

" _Dad,"_ Bella snorted, giving him a light shove and sitting up properly again.

The rest of the car ride passed by in a flurry of giggles and laughter, Charlie trying to pry out information on Bella's dating life. Playfully, of course. He never pushed too hard, but he did try to guess her type, and started asking if she was dating any girls from school. He went down the list of what few kids he knew, and for the most part was oblivious to her infatuation with a certain pixie.

She found it, maybe, a _tad_ suspicious that he'd named literally every girl Bella knew, _but_ Alice. So perhaps he wasn't as oblivious as he seemed.

Either way, by the time the car pulled up in front of the Black house, Bella's mood was sky high and even the dread of dealing with Jake's drama couldn't bring her down.

The frozen gravel crunched under her police issued combat boots, and Bella was thankful Charlie had smaller feet for a man. She got all the hand-me-downs she could ever need. Instinctively, she blew warm air onto her chilly fingers, and followed her father to the porch, shoving her hands into her pockets. "Send him out, will ya?" she called after Charlie.

He nodded, letting himself in, and she listened as he shouted at Jake to get his ass out into the yard. "I'm sick of you two bickering like a bunch of toddlers. You're brothers, for god's sake, now act like it!"

Surprisingly, Jake didn't drag his feet. He was out the door in minutes, hopping down from the porch much like that fateful day. He still only wore a pair of jeans and a sleeveless shirt, and Bella frowned absently as she gazed at the muscles under his dark skin. "Where's your coat?"

"Don't need one," he grumbled, arms crossed over his chest. "We run a higher temperature than humans, this is like a breezy summer day for me."

Bella scoffed, shaking her head. "Well, aren't you special."

"You stink like leeches," he spat suddenly, his face twisted up in disgust. "It's soaked into your skin, I can hardly smell _you_. What, are you wrapping yourself up in them? Jeez, Bella, you couldn't even shower first?"

"It smells good to me, I didn't want to wash it off..."

Shoulders trembling, Jake's face darkened with an anger that looked so foreign on his usually happy face. "Oh, well as long as it smells good to you, by all means, waltz around my house smelling like a corpse. Oh, look at that, a reaction! Finally told you, did they? And you still stink like them, you're still hanging out with them. You know, I think they have a word for that, Bella. Necroph-"

"Stop it!" Bella snapped angrily, eyes flashing a chilling blue beneath her glasses.

Jake scoffed. "Why should I? It's disgusting, Bella. They're dead, they're walking corpses that feed on actual people. Why should I stop?"

"Because you're hurting my feelings," she mumbled, losing her energy. She wasn't here to fight, she really wasn't. She was sick of fighting, and if she did, if she fought him one more time, that was it. She'd go too far, she would ruin things, she would _win_ this time.

That seemed to stop him, or at least give him pause. The fire in his eyes was gone, the rage in his face more... of a pained look. "Yeah, well, you hurt my feelings."

"What, because I broke my promise and I'm hanging out with my friends?"

"No."

"Because I decided to stop being immature like you and act like an adult?"

"I'm not-"

"Because I refuse to treat people so terribly just for being who they are, something they have no control over?"

"Because you chose them!" he finally shouted at her. His arms dropped to his sides and he stalked forward, face screwed up with hurt, dark eyes that began to water. "You chose them over me, Bella! You haven't been back, you haven't called, you haven't even sent a text since that day! You're glued to their sides, I've heard it from all the Forkians, and you haven't given me a single thought since then! You left me behind, _again!"_

That's why he was so upset? He was upset at her _because_ of her, not the Cullens? To be honest, Bella wasn't expecting that. Her face softened and she pushed her glasses up into her hair, stepping forward to place her hand on his arm. "Jake, I thought you hated me. You were so mad last time I saw you..."

"I know," he said miserably, staring down at his shoes. Sometimes, with how large he'd gotten, how mature his body looked, she forgot he was only seventeen. Still just a kid. "It's this damn Shifter gene, Bella. I get... I get so _angry_ and that doesn't even come close to explaining it. There's just this rage that consumes me and I can't think properly, but I'm working on it, I've been working on it since that day. I can't believe I attacked you, I'll never forgive myself, and I couldn't apologize because those fucking leeches won't let me into Forks anymore."

He was ranting, speaking so fast and tripping over his words. "I hate them, Bella, I hate them so much. Because my blood demands it, and because they took you from me. I feel it deep in my bones, how much I hate them, and then they go and pull that shit? Keeping me from Forks to protect you? They care about you enough to try and _forbid_ me from Forks? To risk this treaty they've been working so hard to keep up, all for you? How the fuck am I supposed to keep hating them now?"

"Ehm... what?"

He ran his hands through his hair, making it stick up in odd places, holding the back of his neck. "That little one, she was so mad when they came to the border. She looked so pissed, three of them had to hold her still. I knew if they let go for even a second, she'd be across and on me like _that_. Just as fast as I'd be on them if they ever hurt you. How can I fault them for it, how can I not appreciate that, Bella?"

"Sorry, I don't think I understand what's happening here?" she asked, head tilted to the side. Was he... he was obviously upset, but complimenting the Cullens?

"Neither do I!" he roared. He leaned against the cruiser, hands in his pockets, and let out a petulant growl. Literally, like a dog, he growled. Bella blinked a few times before leaning back against the car next to him. "I do hate them, Bella, more than I could ever properly explain to you. But I think that's because it's... instinctual, and more irrational than I'd like to admit. I wish they were dead, like really dead, and that you'd never met them." He sighed deeply and finally let his head roll to the side, eyes finding hers. "But I _guess_ , if you _must_ be friends with them, if you _need_ them in your life... I can keep my hatred to myself. I'll, uh, be as supportive as I can. I just want my brother back, just please don't leave me behind. Please."

Unable to stop herself, she scoffed up at him. Her breath curled like smoke in the cold air before her, his face crumpling in rejection again. She rolled her eyes and grabbed his arm, heat rolling off him in waves, and hugged it tightly to her. "You never lost me, you big oaf," she said with a little grumble. "We were both being assholes and we both needed to cool down, but I'd never leave you behind. I promise."

They both winced at that, still a sore subject. "Don't promise me," he said seriously, but gently. "Prove it instead. _Show_ me. Because I miss you like crazy, dude. There's a lot of shit going on in my life right now, and since you finally know about Shifters, I can spill to you. Which I _desperately_ need to do because I'm strugglin'."

"Same," Bella breathed, more excited than she meant to be. He quirked his eyebrows, giving her a curious look, and hopped up onto the hood of the cruiser. Bella climbed up beside him and they both laid back against the windshield, letting snowflakes fall on them. "My life was turned upside down last night, but you go first. Yours seems serious and I kinda like mine."

Jacob laughed, his massive body shaking the car, and rested his hands behind his head. "Where to begin? Alright, so I've been a wolf for about a year now, which is really messed up. I mean, there are upsides, like really, _really_ cool upsides, but mostly I hate it. Because that's what we do, we _hate_ all the time, just everything. Or feels like it. I'm just always in a bad mood, but maybe that's because of Sam."

"Sam?"

He held up a finger. "I'm getting to that. Sam Uley, he's our pack leader. You met him last time, he explained the gist of shapeshifters to you?"

"Ohhh," Bella's face scrunched up at the memory, "yeah, he was kinda weird. Gave me the creeps."

A noise of agreement came from Jake. "Yup, he's an asshole. The real kind, not like you. Hey! No pinching, we're not five anymore. Anyway, he pretty much runs the pack like his own personal cult, and it drives me fucking insane, Bells. Mostly because I have no choice but to obey, and when he pulls rank like that, I can't even... I can't even not like it. It's hard to explain," he waved his hand around, much like Bella had earlier, and her heart warmed, "but when he's being all Alpha-y, I'm being all wolfy, and I _want_ to listen, I want to make him proud, I _want_ to be one of them, all while losing my mind trying to stop."

"Pack mentality," Bella said quietly. She turned her head to see Jake looking at her earnestly, looking for some kind of explanation that would make him feel better. "It's something wolves have. Actual wolves. A pack mentality, they all start thinking alike, like one mind or whatever. Makes them more efficient at hunting and fighting. There might be some connection there."

He nodded, sighing under his breath. "Yeah, that makes sense. Well, he uses it to his advantage all the time, and I just... I really wish those bloodsuckers didn't change the treaty." Jake's face darkened again, the shadow of anger and hatred back. "You shouldn't be here, Bella, it's not safe anymore. Sam really doesn't like you, he's got wolves in the trees right now, watching us."

Without hesitation she stuck her hand up in the air, turning it this way and that to give the middle finger to all the trees.

"I don't even know him. Why doesn't he like me?" She was getting real sick of people she didn't even know, hating her guts for no reason. That was three now.

Jake leaned up on the hood, stretching his torso to look around the fields and off into the treeline as he grabbed her outstretched hand. He frowned and laid back again, shaking his head. "Probably something to do with the Cullens, and how buddy-buddy you are with them. He hates them even more than I do, but I think it's more personal for him. Dunno why, couldn't care less..." he pretty much shrugged at her exasperated look, indifferent to this man's hatred of her friends. "But I don't want him taking it out on you, and I don't know for sure he won't. I mean, his whole front is _protecting humans from bloodsuckers_ , but I wouldn't put it past him to try something."

"Okay, freaking out just a tad," Bella muttered, glancing to the trees and flicking her glasses down onto her nose again. "My last tango with a giant wolf didn't go so well..."

Barking out a laugh, Jake nudged his shoulder against hers. "You did surprisingly well, from what I can remember. The rage swallowed up most of my rational thought, so it's a little fuzzy. Either way, you shouldn't worry much. I got your back, Bells."

This was the second person to say this to her today, and also from one of the most important people in her life. Her eyes stung but she blinked back the tears. His teasing would be relentless if she let them fall. "I thought you have to listen to his orders?"

"Yeah, kinda," Jake pouted with a huff. His face was hard, but his eyes were still hurt. "I'd fight it for you, Bella. I'd fight them all, even if I'm outnumbered ten to one. Plus, Quil, Embry, and I are working on that. On disobeying him... or, well, sorta. We can't outright _do_ it yet because he's gonna be pissed if we actually do it. So we should probably make sure we can before we do, because he's got so many wolves, dude, and it's just the four of us."

Bella's brows furrowed, her curiosity winning out over the fear creeping into her heart. Despite his promises to stand by her, she didn't exactly feel _safe_ on this side of the border anymore. She, too, wished that maybe Alice hadn't reacted so strongly. Jake was stuck here, and she wasn't about to leave him behind, which meant she had to keep crossing over into danger.

Stressful. When did her life become so stressful?

Arms crossed, she shook her head and looked up at him. "You said the four of you?"

"Yeah!" he seemed to perk up at that, sliding to the edge of the car to let his feet touch the ground. "Leah, she just shifted for the first time about... a week ago? Maybe a little more. The first girl in, I dunno, forever?"

"Take that, lupine patriarchy...?"

He snorted and rolled his dark eyes. "Way to support your own sex, brother. She's pretty cool though, a total badass. She's _refused_ Sam twice now, like, I'm not even sure if she's in the pack. Which is weird because he basically looks at you, says _sit_ , and you sit. She actually _flipped him off_ when he commanded her to shift last night!"

"I'm glad you made a new girl friend," Bella laughed.

Jake blushed, scratching his cheek and looked away. Bella's eyebrows rose but she tucked away that speculation for a later date. "Yeah, I don't know about that. I thought being a wolf made _me_ angry, but she's just on a whole other level. Mood swings like you would not believe, but she's trying to help us learn how to say no to Sam, so. Yeah. The four of us. I don't know if she'd back us in a fight, but at least she wouldn't be there to kick our ass, either."

Nodding, Bella slid to the edge of the car, her feet dangling above the driveway. She stared down at them, leaning against her brother. "That's pretty shitty, Jake. Your whole Sam, deal. I wish there was something I could do to help, but alas, some of us around these parts are simple mortals. We trip on shoelaces and can't turn into Kujo in the blink of an eye."

"Eh," Jake shrugged again, looking up into the sky. He squinted at the giant grey cloud blotting out the sun. "It's an explosive situation, to be sure, and will probably be hell when it finally goes off, but for now it's alright. I'm mostly worried about you, hanging out with leeches in Forks, and being stalked by wolves down here."

Bella rolled her eyes. "Those _leeches_ , as you so kindly put it, are my friends and would never hurt me." She decided to leave out the part where she was sure Rosalie wouldn't blink twice at the thought of killing her, and that Wensley might _actually_ do it. She hadn't missed that little 'bite her or kill her' jab he shot at Alice, and she'd been trying not to think about it since. Nevermind those Volt... Vult-whatevers, Alice had ranted about in the car. Descending like a cloud of death, she'd put it?

Apparently, the supernatural world was _wildly_ melodramatic.

"Hah," Jacob scoffed and growled, all in one. "You might have found a bunch that like to play house now and then, but they're killers, Bella. Make no mistake."

"I thought you were going to be supportive..."

"This is me being supportive," he deadpanned. "Do you hear me threatening their lives?"

"I slept with one last night."

She watched, in a numb and resigned sort of way, as Jacob snarled and slammed his fist into his open palm. She waited patiently, staring down the long road, while he continued his fit, not unlike a parent out-waiting their pouting child. "I'll _kill_ it, Bella! I swear I will if they so much as-"

"There it is!" she chimed, pointing up at him. "There's the death threat."

"You _slept_ with a bloodsucker, what do you expect?!" he exploded at her.

She shoved him roughly, enough to send him sliding down the wet hood of the cruiser, onto the driveway below. After a moment, long enough for him to cool off a tad, she leaned over the edge to look down at him. He had the tact to look sheepish. "I expect support. Proper support. I slept with Alice, yes," she held up her hand as he scowled again, "but that was it. _Slept._ It's a whole story, but I don't want to get into it right now."

"Your heart skips a beat when you say her name," he muttered after a few tense seconds. He watched her watch him, working his jaw a few times while he struggled to reel in the heat of his anger. "You need support because it means something, doesn't it? You _like_ that bloodsucker, for real."

A blush burned her cheeks and she nodded meekly. "I think so, yeah."

"You're killin' me, Bells."

With a small smile and an exaggerated sigh, Bella stuck out her hand to pull him back up onto the car. "Get up here so I can explain it to you, so you can then explain it to me, because I'm just... I'm freaking out. But you need to put aside your wolf hate and forget that she's a vampire, or I'm gonna shove you off the car again."

"Damn it! ... fine, help me up."

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

It was late by the time Bella and Charlie made it home, especially at the crawl they had to do on the icy, wet highways. Something about that one road, connecting the Res to Forks... it made Bella's gut churn painfully every time she was on it. But they'd made it, like she assumed they would because why wouldn't they? Why was that thought even in her mind?

Charlie muttered something about crawling into bed so he could get up for work in the morning, and coming home straight after school to continue her grounding, before he dragged himself up the stairs. Bella watched him go, amusement and affection seeping out of her, while she dallied around in the kitchen. She sent Alice a quick text to let her know she was back and that things went well with Jake.

After a quick midnight snack, Bella flicked off all the lights and made her way upstairs. She couldn't stop the eager bounce to her step, knowing Alice might be there at her window waiting, because she certainly wasn't at the front door. Bella had checked, and _maybe_ , possibly hovered there for a couple minutes.

Her bedroom door swung open and she had only a moment to smother her scream, not wanting to wake Charlie, whom she heard snoring from his closed door. Bella bit her knuckle, her fists clenched as she desperately tried to calm her heart, and glared fiercely at the intruder.

"Heya, Boo," Emmett greeted happily and a little too loudly. Bella closed her bedroom door and leaned back against it, still trying to get her breathing under control. Emmett seemed to notice, his big head tilting to the side as he idly glanced at her chest. "They were right, it's pretty easy to mess up that drum. You should ask Carlisle to run some tests, I'm not totally sure that's normal. Or start drinking more tea, I hear that helps. You're too stressed."

"I wonder why," she snapped sarcastically. She rolled her eyes and headed for her bed, sitting on the edge and staring up at the largest Cullen. "What the hell are you doing in here?"

The giant boy shrugged, sitting on the edge of her desk. She jostled, ready to jump up and catch her dinosaur of a computer if his sheer weight broke the entire thing. It was likely; he was twice the size of the thing, easily. "Since it's late and I know humans get cranky when they're tired, I'm not going to hold your lack of hospitality against you. Especially after this morning and how much effort I put into cutting up all that fruit for you."

What a drama queen. "I'm sorry, Emmett. It's very good to see you. What brings you by at such a late hour?"

"Right," he grinned happily, running a hand through his black hair. "About that... so, hmm. They told me to break it to you in a way that wouldn't freak you out."

"Uh oh."

She didn't see that going over well.

Seemingly thinking along the same lines, Emmett nodded with a slightly frustrated look. His big, bright eyes shimmered like sparkling gold in the darkness of the room, the only light spilling in from the window he somehow managed to squeeze through. "Well, you and I were never ones to beat around the bush. That seems to be working just fine for us, so I'll spell it out for you. Basically, we're pretty sure you're being stalked by vampires."

"Come the fuck on," Bella whined, throwing herself back against her mattress. "No. No, just – nope. Not happening, this isn't happening. Emmett, I'm serious. No! Okay? I don't have _room_ for any more of this shit, so take it back. Tell me you're joking."

His face was sheepish and mildly concerned when she peeked at him. "Wish I could, Boo." The giant got to his feet, surprisingly silent for his size, and walked around the room. He picked up things here and there, studying them closely as if they held all the answers to all the questions in the world, and put them back down again. "We get nomads who pass through now and then, not really often enough to have a protocol set up. If we catch them in Forks, we send them on their way, and most are happy to distance themselves from us. Large covens like ours are almost unheard of."

"Why do you think I'm being stalked?"

It took entirely too much effort to force those words out.

"Smelled 'em," Emmett replied, waving at the window. "For a couple days now, we've caught wind of a few different scents. Mostly in the woods, and skirting around our land. We hoped they were just passing through, but Rose and Wensley were suspicious that we hadn't seen them yet. Like they were hiding from us."

"Okay...?"

He sighed and shook his head, coming to sit beside her on the bed. After a brief hesitation, he scooted to the far end to put distance between them. "I don't know if Alice told you, but you smell _really_ good," he said and looked at her. Bella nodded because, yes, Alice had mentioned it that very morning. "Like... _so_ good, Bella. You're what we call a _Singer._ Your blood calls out to any vampire who catches a whiff, intoxicating, addicting, and promising oh so much reward. Almost like a gravitational pull, your blood literally draws vampires in."

"That doesn't sound very safe..." she muttered.

"No," Emmett agreed with an uncharacteristically serious look in his eyes. "It's not. Alice came by earlier, she wanted to wait for you here because she couldn't see when you'd get back. There are three foreign vampire scents in your room, and... uh, all your shirts are missing from your hamper."

Bella jolted to her feet, running over to her dirty laundry hamper. Usually, she'd be embarrassed, rifling through it and tossing boycuts across her room, but that took back seat to her panic and growing horror. Not a single shirt was found inside. "What the fuck? Emmett! What the actual fuck?"

"And metaphorical, theoretical, imaginary fucks, too," he nodded, hands on his hips as he stood beside her, staring down at the basket, "So... yeah. Pretty sure you've got at least three on your trail."

She turned to him, at a loss for anything right now. She grabbed his shirt in her hands and stared up at him. "What does that mean? What... what if they hurt my dad? What do I do?"

"Easy, Bella," he urged. Big stony fingers wrapped around her wrists and he gently pried her grip from his shirt, leading her back to her bed. She collapsed onto it when her knees hit the mattress. "We're gonna find them, and give them the boot or, ya know, put 'em six feet under. Maybe you haven't noticed, but this family is growing oddly attached to you. Alice isn't about to let some mangy nomads take you away from her, in fact, she's looking for them as we speak."

Bella perked up. "Through her visions? She can find them like that?"

"Normally, yes, quite easily," he said slowly, his brows furrowed. "Alice really makes life ten times easier than it usually is, but this time is a little different. The wolves always get riled up when nomads pass through, and they affect her visions. That, combined with you throwing her visions off even more... she's struggling. If they weren't after you, I think she could do it, but because it involves you, man, I don't know. We'll get 'em, either way. We always do."

"I still don't feel great about it."

Emmett grinned then, sitting up straight to flex his muscles. Bella could see the sleeves of his t-shirt strain and threaten to rip. "You have nothing to worry about there, Boo! It's why I'm here. You'll always have one of us watching the house while you sleep, nobody's sneaking up on you. Tonight's my night. And during daylight hours, so to speak here in cloudy Forks, you're safe. They're not gonna rip your throat open in the middle of Town Hall, ya know?"

She gaped up at him and he winced.

"Oh, yeah, that probably didn't help. All I'm saying is you'll be fine. You're never alone when you're on this side of the border, and _no_ vampire wanders down to the Res. Those dogs will rip you to pieces faster than you can say _down, Yeller, down!_ Plus they stink and that's enough to kill anyone's appetite. So relax, my bumbling little fawn of a friend."

A deep sigh escaped Bella's lips and all she could do was nod. Really, that was her only option because, yeah. This was her life, apparently, and what else could she do? They were _vampires_ , for shit's sake. Faster than her, stronger than her, and probably a whole bunch of others more than she was. If the Cullens wanted to help her, _of course_ she would let them. It was either that or die, so... not exactly a hard choice. Mostly, though, she mostly just nodded because she needed to sleep. This had been the longest day of her life, and she just wanted to sleep it off.

So she got under her blankets, kicked off her pants and let them fall out the end, and gave Emmett and the window a pointed look. "I appreciate it more than I could politely say in this moment, Emmett, but you're not watching me sleep. You guys don't get cold so I don't feel bad about kicking you out of my room. Feel free to take a book, if you want."

"I guess only pixies are privy to your bed, hm?" he asked with a wiggle of his eyebrows. He ducked under the random book she threw at him from her desk, and laughed. "Alright, I'm going. Holler if you need anything, I'm just under your window here. Oh and, uh, if Esme asks, I apologized for my lack of manners this morning."

"You didn't actually, you know."

"Well you're not actually offended, so there. Plus, I'm bound to do it again, and why waste my breath apologizing over and over, when I can just do it once one day far, far down the road?" His tone was light and breezy, so happy and carefree that it soothed the acidic ball of nerves that weighed heavily in Bella's stomach.

It was really hard to be scared when Emmett was around, she was finding, and not just because of his intimidating size. Jake was just as big as this mountain of a man, if not taller, but Bella had always fallen into the older sibling side of the relationship there. When there was danger, she was scared for him more often than herself, and while she didn't let that deter her, she still suffered the anxiety that came with it.

Emmett was, for some new and delightful, albeit a tad embarrassing reason, the closest thing Bella ever had to an older brother. Yes, they were merely friends, but it was a role he naturally fell into, and Bella didn't have the heart to fight it. She'd always wanted siblings, growing up in Phoenix. Leaving Jacob had been... difficult, and she tried to bury it the best she could.

Trying to smother the affection in her chest, Bella hugged her pillow close. She watched the giant run his fingers along her bookshelf, plucking a cover from her collection, and head to the window. "Emmett?" she called softly, knowing he would hear. His movements stilled, head hanging out the window until he brought it back in. "Who are the Volt...ies?"

"Volturi?" he asked, head tilted. She nodded and once again, a grim sort of seriousness slid onto his face, eyes darkening shade by shade. "Seriously bad news, Boo. Best to give them a wide birth and fly under their radar, okay? Who told you about them?"

"No one, really," she whispered. Her fatigue was creeping up on her, fast. "Alice mentioned them in passing after something Wensley said this morning."

A light sigh heaved Emmett's shoulders and he straddled the windowsill, staring down at the cover of her book in his hands. "Wen's a good guy, even if he doesn't show it. Angry to everyone, about everything, unless it involves Jess, but it's not who he is. He's been through a lot, kinda like Rosie, but they really are good people. Give 'em time, give 'em patience. They'll come around."

"Okay. Thank you, Emmett," she finally said, pulling the covers up over her shoulders. "I'm glad it's you who got first watch, or whatever."

Those amber eyes sparkled and the grin he offered was fiercely endearing. "Me too! Heard you trip _twice_ on your way up the stairs, haha!"

 **.**

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 **.**

 **HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KELLY!**

 **Yeah, so, how'd you like Bella coming out to her dad? Not gonna lie, I used this method when I came out to half my family. Alas, I did not receive such grand results. Got that disappointed "oh no, ohhhh paige, no. Maybe you're confused?" but whatever, this isn't about me.**

 **It's about Bella and her adorable vampires that understand humans get grouchy when they're sleepy. I've been adding a couple chapters here and there, to lengthen this story out some, and because you guys just inspire me to add more. You _deserve_ more. But yeah. These new chapters I'm adding. I like 'em a lot. I think you guys will too. **

**peace**

 **Paige.**


	12. Chapter 12

**CULLEN FAMILY** : Esme and Carlisle. Rosalie and Emmett. Jasper and Victoria. Edward. Alice. Wensley and Jessica.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Twilight.

 **Rated:** T.

 **Author:** xPaige Turnerx

 **Summary:** COMPLETED AND WAITING TO POST. "Trust me, dating a vampire and having a wolf for a brother are the LEAST complicated aspects of my life. Every now and then my nose reenacts the elevator scene from The Shining, and I randomly wake up in the woods. Normal was shot to Hell a long time ago."

" _At the center of your being_

 _you have the answer;_

 _you know who you are_

 _you know what you want."_

 _-Lao Tzu_

Sleep usually came fairly easily for Bella, one way or another. By the time the moon rolled around and the sun disappeared under the horizon, she was exhausted; emotionally, physically, mentally. She really wasn't a people person, and dealing with them all day really took it out of her. The second her head hit a pillow, she was usually done right then and there. Sometimes, now and then, she had her struggles. A particularly clingy headache that wouldn't let her rest or just such active dreams that would wake her up in the end.

That night, Bella slept like a baby, and she wasn't surprised. It really, truly had been one of the longest days of her life, but she supposed that had a little to do with waltzing through the forest in the wee hours of the morning. Bella only stirred once that night, when she heard the creak of her window break the silence of the room. Considering everything that had happened, she was just a tad paranoid and kept one eye open, so to speak.

Chilly fingers brushed her hair back behind her ear a moment before Alice's unique scent engulfed her in a cloud of pure bliss, and she sighed happily, scooting to the edge of her twin bed while she tried to not wake up too fully. There was no danger if Alice was there. Things would always be okay if Alice was there.

The pixie had slid into her bed swiftly, gracefully, and silently. She balanced precariously on the edge, giving Bella space, so with a grunt, Bella shimmied across the twin bed and snuggled up to a strong, stone body that was somehow always soft. The chill was a little startling but she knew it would fade as her own body heat warmed Alice up, and hummed in content when Alice finally hugged her close and played with her hair until she fell asleep again.

Morning rolled around, as it always did, and Bella was awoken by the odd cawing of a crow. How she knew it was a crow and not a raven, or any other bird for that matter, was a mystery to herself. She didn't know a thing about birds, had never read a book or even heard information in passing, yet she _did_ know about them. Or crows, at least. Ravens, too, she supposed.

By the fifth caw, Bella leaned up on her palm, turning to face the back of her room, black eyes snapping open and flashing with annoyance. "Would you shut the fuck up? People are trying to sleep," she hissed without thinking.

The sixth caw died out halfway and was replaced by tinkling laughter, and the bed shaking behind her. All at once, she realized that she wasn't alone, and remembered Alice creeping into her room last night. A powerful blush burned her face and she quickly ran her hands through her hair, leaning down to scoop up her glasses from the floor. They always ended up on the floor.

Alice's smile was radiant, her face alight with joy as she laughed, holding her stomach. Her own onyx eyes opened briefly to look at Bella until she laughed even harder, shaking her head. "No!" she giggled out. "No, no, no. That doesn't happen, that just doesn't happen. Bella!" she wheezed, eyes open again and looking past the human and to the bird perched on her closet door. "You are so adorably abnormal and it's like you don't even realize it. There is a _bird_ in your room and you just reprimanded it for waking you up."

"What kind of bastard _caws_ this early in the morning?"

Another snort tore from Alice's throat, but she appeared to be wrestling her laughter back down. She cleared her throat, sitting up and leaning against the headboard, dark eyes sparkling with amusement still. "Let me just say this one last time," Alice began, her lips trembling. "There is a bird. It's not your bird, it's not a pet. A wild bird, flew into your room this morning while you slept. You don't think that's a little odd, or warrants a different reaction?"

"Eh," Bella's brows furrowed and she frowned, looking back at the bird, "it's a little weird, yeah." Those beady little eyes stared at her and she huffed, looking away. "More rude than anything though, I was having a good dream."

Alice sighed lightly, happily, and lifted to her feet in a move that looked more like dancing than standing. "And here I thought _I_ was the oddity of this town," she sang as she pulled out clothes and set them on the desk.

"Oh, you're a little weirdo," Bella muttered as she watched the pixie go through her drawers. "Don't doubt that."

A pale tongue was stuck out at her and while Bella chuckled at the playful girl, she also squirmed in her seat. The sight of Alice's tongue sent a pleasant shiver down her spine. "You wound me," the vampire declared dramatically, oblivious to the reaction she caused. "Here I was, just trying to help you get ready for school, offering you a _ride_ and to carry your books. What does that get me?"

"Attitude," Bella replied moments before Alice could. She got to her feet and stretched her limbs, feeling the familiar burn of her muscles and let out a groan. Alice was fiddling with a pair of jeans, eyebrows slightly raised, black eyes trained steadily on Bella's stomach where her shirt rode up. "Alice?"

She blinked a few times, looking up at Bella's face with confusion. "Hm? Yes?"

"Nothing," she replied instead of calling the pixie out on her staring. She didn't even know what she'd say to that anyway and preferred not to think about it in that moment. "May I ask why you're setting out my clothes for me like I'm five years old?"

"Because," Alice drawled, and looked down at the jeans in her hands. She placed them on the bed and moved to Bella's desk chair, where a bag sat. "I'm almost twice the age of your grandmother and _still_ I have more fashion sense than you."

"What's wrong with my clothes?"

"Nothing's wrong with them, per say," Alice murmured as she stared thoughtfully at the choices she laid out. She glanced up at Bella and shrugged. " _I_ wouldn't wear them, but I do admit I like the way they look on you. You just could use some help pairing them up, like how the other day you wore red and purple."

Bella frowned. "What's wrong with red and purple?"

"They clash," the pixie said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "It doesn't truly bother me, and if this bothers you, I'll stop."

She seemed just slightly alarmed like she thought she was overstepping again or actually offending Bella. The taller girl shrugged her shoulders. Honestly, it annoyed her when Renee used to do this to her, and it was still kind of annoying now. Just because it was Alice doing it, didn't magically make it delightful for Bella. However, she found she'd rather indulge Alice, even if it annoyed her, because it made Alice happy. And that, in turn, made Bella happy. Everything balanced out. "Nah, I don't mind. By all means, pick my outfits, I don't care either way."

"Great!" Alice chimed, bouncing in place. She dumped the bag on Bella's bed, a bunch of shirts piling out. Muscle shirts, t-shirts, button-up plaids, and band tees. All Bella's style, but none she recognized. "I stopped by the store last night after I discovered your missing clothing. I wanted to replace it before you found out, but then I got caught up with the others trying to pick up scents."

"You didn't have to do that," Bella said softly. She picked up one of the shirts, rubbing the material between her fingers, and looked at Alice with gentle eyes the girl could not see. "Alice..."

Waving her off, Alice danced to the door and opened it up. She beamed back at Bella and shrugged. "It's no big deal, really. I love to shop, so this was more of a treat for me than a favour for you. Now hurry up and get dressed, I'll warm up some breakfast for you before school."

Half an hour later, Bella was following Alice outside, locking the door behind her. Edward's silver volvo idled in the driveway and she could see him and Jessica inside, eagerly awaiting her. Bella offered them a wave. "You didn't tell me these two were waiting on us. I would h-oh!" Her boots slid on the icy porch and she squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for the impact. Impossibly strong arms grabbed her shoulders and kept her upright, Alice's face amused and concerned at the same time. "Thanks. That was icier than I th- _shit_!"

"Oh, Bella," Alice sighed as she caught the girl in her arms again, scooping her up bridal style. Carrying her to the car would be easier than trying to keep her upright with all this ice. "I forgot you said you're clumsy."

A scowl slid onto Bella's face and she planted her feet firmly on the ground before she ducked into the back seat. "It's icy, anybody would slip. Not all of us are super vampires and giant wolves."

"Hello, Bella!" Jessica greeted happily from the front seat. She turned around to pull Bella into an awkward three-way hug with herself and the passenger chair, the younger girl's face smushed into the back of the headrest. She heard Alice snort. "I'm so glad you finally know about us! It was killing me to keep it to myself, I mean, not as much as Alice, but still, we're friends too, and it almost felt like lying, and friends shouldn't lie, you know?"

"It's a good thing you don't need to breathe," Alice muttered from her side of the car. She shot Bella a playful wink when Bella looked over, the two sharing a smile.

Though she scoffed, Jessica turned back around in her seat properly. Edward met Bella's eyes in the rearview mirror and nodded at her. "Good morning, Bella." She nodded back and his smile dimmed, amber eyes staring ahead at the road. "I'm loathe to bring it up, given we're not their biggest fans, nor they ours, but I was wondering about the wolves. We all are, actually."

Bella shifted in her seat, hackles rising for some reason. "What do you mean?" she asked, uncomfortably. Though Jake never hid his hatred of the Cullens, and even went out of his way to bring it up, the Cullens never really spoke of the wolves. She wasn't sure how well she'd handle them dissing her brother.

"The wolves have been acting strange lately," Edward replied with a shake of his head. "They're more volatile, trying to egg us on, and have very nearly breached the treaty themselves. What's more than that, is they're hiding their thoughts."

This had Bella pausing, her head tilting to the side. Hiding their thoughts? The fuck did that mean? "Huh?"

"I can read minds," Edward said simply. "Did Alice not mention that? Jasper can feel and manipulate emotions in others, Alice has her visions, Victoria can sense and effectively evade danger, and Rosalie can see people's weaknesses."

Her eyes widened. "Is that how she always knows _just_ what to say to make me feel like shit?"

"No," Jessica laughed, crossing her arms over her chest. "She's just naturally talented at that. Her gift is different than that, mostly combat oriented. Like if you have a bad knee, or are not good at dodging, if you favour your right fist. Stuff like that. It makes her deadly in a fight. You should see her, Edward, Victoria, and Alice spar."

Well, that was pretty damn cool. Not only were they vampires, with super speed, super strength, super senses, didn't have to sleep or eat, were inhumanly beautiful, but some of them got superpowers too. Lucky... "That's awesome!"

"It's alright," Edward agreed humbly. "None of our gifts work on you, however, which makes yourself fairly 'awesome' too."

Her brows furrowed and she glanced at Alice, who was nodding. "Am I broken or something?"

"Why on Earth would you think you're broken?" Alice shot back, scooping up one of her hands to hold. Bella just shrugged her shoulders because why else wouldn't they work? Why else would she have eyes like she did or that strange mark on her neck? She must be broken. "Well you're not, so don't even think that. You're extraordinary, Bella."

A flattered and embarrassed hum left her lips as she struggled to reign in her blush. Blush, blush, blush. It was like all she ever did around the pixie, and now that she knew it affected them, she felt horrible about it. "You touch me a lot," she murmured, staring down at their clasped hands. Alice made to pull away, but Bella held tighter. "I didn't say stop, I was just making an observation. Is it a vampire thing?"

"Kinda," Alice agreed with an odd look on her face. She stared ahead at the back of Edward's headrest while those two were suspiciously quiet. "Vampires constantly touch their mates, it's... um, it's a bit of a comfort thing and a bit of a possessive thing. Mostly, though, I enjoy your heat and am an affectionate person."

Bella nodded, a smile on her face. "That does suit you. What's a mate, though? Like, their friends?"

"So, I don't mean to pry, it is your business," Alice began quickly, still not looking at Bella. "Do you know what's going on down at La Push, with the wolves? We've never had an inside man, so to speak. Tensions just seem higher than normal, and there is no cause."

Deciding to let Alice's weird behaviour go, Bella leaned back in the seat. She closed her eyes and thought of Jacob, wondered how he was doing with his training to disobey Sam. She wished him the best of luck and prayed this Leah girl could help them. It killed her that her friends were basically slaves to this scary dude. "I'm guessing it's not news that they all hate you," she said and listened to the others chuckle. "Otherwise, there's nothing happening that has anything to do with you. I'd tell you if there was. It's personal... pack related things."

"Fair enough," Edward said with a smile. "I just figured we should ask. With these nomads causing trouble, it's one less stress to worry about while we deal with them."

Jeez. She'd almost forgotten about that. Perhaps it would have been best to tell them that Jake said it wasn't safe for her down at La Push, that this Sam guy had it out for her now, but she didn't want to pile onto the trouble she was already causing. They were doing enough for her and she could take care of herself. She _had_ held her own against Jacob when he was a wolf.

It was all starting to eat at her, which, she supposed, was fair. It happened pretty quick, almost all at once, so she hadn't really had that much time to think about it. With everyone quick to tell her not to worry about it, to insist they would deal with it for her, she'd all too easily let it slip from her. Distanced herself from it.

But that wasn't who she was, wasn't how she was raised. Renee may have been flighty, but that was her choice. That was how she dealt with things, she never asked anyone else to deal with it for her. Whether she ran away from her issues or faced them head on, she at least never let them affect anyone else. Charlie, reversely, refused to back down from his problems, refused to let anyone else step in, and, in fact, tried to take on other people's.

So far Bella hadn't lived up to her parents' example, but she was going to blame that on being overwhelmed. You're allowed one day to let it sink in, especially for issues of this grand scale. Charlie and Renee were never stalked by vampires or on the list of a fury-addicted shapeshifting wolf.

Still, Bella decided right then and there that she was going to take care of this. Of course, she couldn't do it alone, she would accept all the help she could get, but she sure as hell wasn't going to let anyone else do it alone. "I'll keep my ears and eyes open," she said suddenly in the quiet car. Golden eyes glanced at her curiously. "While I'm at La Push, I'll keep an eye on things. Talk to some of the boys, do some gentle prying. They won't get the jump on you, should the worst come to pass."

"Thanks, B," Jessica said sincerely. She reached back to pat the side of Bella's leg. "We appreciate that."

"So do I. Really."

School that day passed by like most days, perhaps a little longer than usual. Whether that was because of her anxiety over almost everything going on in her life, her eagerness to see Alice, or her paranoia about everyone staring at her... she couldn't really say.

People were definitely looking, though. It couldn't possibly be just in her head, they were _watching_ her today. They noticed how touchy Alice was today compared to any other day. Bella sure as hell noticed. Ever since their sleepover, which admittedly was only two days prior, Alice couldn't keep her hands off Bella.

Innocently, of course. They were just friends, still.

Right?

Every time she saw the pixie, there was the delightful chill of her touch. On Bella's shoulder, her elbow, lower back, or they were straight up holding hands. Alice had even taken to hugging Bella's arm as they walked, leaning into the taller girl as they walked each other to different classes.

Not that Bella cared, mind you. Well, sure, she cared, but in a good way. She wasn't torn up about it, she wasn't about to ask Alice to stop. She just wanted people to stop _looking_ at her.

" _What?"_ she snapped at the boy rifling through his locker next to hers. "What is it? What are you looking at? Why do you keep staring at me?!"

The poor boy shuffled his feet, face red and eyes looking a little puffy. He scratched his cheek and looked down at the ground. "Um, n-nothing. You just... you look happy today. You d-don't usually smile s-so much. I was going to ask... to ask if... um, it was your birthday or a s-special occasion? Sorry. I'm sorry."

Oh.

Bella's scowl smoothed out into a curious expression. She looked happy? That's what had everyone staring? Did she really always look so miserable or angry? Was Alice right, did she scowl at people and verbally decimate them?

The boy having a nervous breakdown in front of her was proof enough.

"No," she said softly with a shake of her head. "Just in a good mood, I guess. Sorry for snapping. See ya tomorrow. Heh. Ahem."

She almost sprinted down the hallway away from him, kicking open the cafeteria doors when she got to them. Food. Food always helped.

The line was long and Bella sighed, her shoulders slumping as she took her place at the end. She didn't have to wait long, though, as two familiar blondes saddled up on each side of her. Their trays were full and she was being guided to their table by the door leading outside. "How's lockdown going, stranger?" Mike asked once they sat.

"And tell Charlie that you're the only one keeping some of us afloat in English class, so if his goal was to make me fail, he's doing a superb job," Lauren snapped. She glared at Bella, true annoyance seeping out of her. "Way to go and get grounded, jackass. Couldn't wait until morning to see your precious girlfriend?"

Eyebrows shot into hairlines as Mike and Bella exchanged looks. Someone was in a _mood_ today. "So sorry _my_ grounding is inconveniencing _you_ , Lauren," Bella said with a grumble. "Is that jello cup for me?"

"This jello cup is for best friends who don't get caught doing stupid shit so their other two best friends don't also get punished."

"Is it green apple? You know green apple is my favourite."

Mike chuckled, shaking his head as the tensions around the table lessened. He cracked open his water bottle and took a big gulp. "Everything good with Tiny Cullen, there?"

"Eh?" Bella looked at him while still reaching for the jello cup Lauren kept pushing out of her reach.

The other blonde relented and tossed Bella a spoon, too. "You said you're grounded because you got caught sneaking off to console Alice, yeah? Is everything okay, how's she doing?"

"You guys care?"

They each gave her a look that had her feeling sheepish. Mike rolled his blue eyes. "No, we're heartless monsters who hope the Cullens are miserable just because they're weird. Jeez, Bella, how about some credit?"

"Besides," Lauren muttered quietly, looking down at her salad. "If she's important to you, she's important to us. So... whatever, fuck. If she's good, then good, and if she's not, tell us how to help."

Bella shrugged, crossing her arms on the table and resting her chin on her elbow. "Yeah, she's fine. No worries, man. What'd you guys get up to this weekend?" she asked. As they broke off into their, objectively, boring plans they had that weekend, Bella subtly looked around her shoulder to the back corner where the Cullens always sat.

Alice's dark eyes were watching her table, aglow with... affection? Appreciation? Surprise? Something that made Bella's breath catch in her throat, watching the object of her chaotic, scary, and intense feelings look at her friends. Maybe the Cullens were good at brushing off how the other Forkians felt, maybe they handled it better than Jessica after so much practice, but they couldn't tell her that it didn't affect them.

They couldn't tell her that it didn't hurt a little bit.

Not after seeing how grateful Alice looked right then.

 **.**

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 **.**

 **For Cloud. (heart) Paige. And fuck life for givin' ya a hard time.**

 **Also, real quick, I love how a bunch of you keep getting Wensley's name wrong. My favourite is Wendel. He and Bella don't interact much in this story, but the sequel, hot damn she's gonna be calling him Wendel all the time. And I really appreciate all the support, you guys, truly.**

 **peace**

 **Paige.**


	13. Chapter 13

**CULLEN FAMILY** : Esme and Carlisle. Rosalie and Emmett. Jasper and Victoria. Edward. Alice. Wensley and Jessica.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Twilight.

 **Rated:** T.

 **Author:** xPaige Turnerx

 **Summary:** COMPLETED AND WAITING TO POST. "Trust me, dating a vampire and having a wolf for a brother are the LEAST complicated aspects of my life. Every now and then my nose reenacts the elevator scene from The Shining, and I randomly wake up in the woods. Normal was shot to Hell a long time ago."

" _At the center of your being_

 _you have the answer;_

 _you know who you are_

 _you know what you want."_

 _-Lao Tzu_

Two weeks went by after that, with no sightings of the nomads. Thankfully there weren't any fresh scents in her room or even around her house. They were all over the woods, which made Bella's heart hammer painfully in her chest, but the nomads seemed to catch onto the fact that Bella was being guarded.

Guarded. Yeah. Not just watched, but _guarded_. There wasn't a moment of the day, save for her porcelain haven bathroom time, that Bella was alone. Even when she was with Charlie, just having dinner or watching television, she knew at least one Cullen was lurking around the house.

She felt like she was being stalked by a lot more than three vampires now.

As much as it bothered her, she couldn't complain. This was a favour, this was so kind and thoughtful, these people she'd only recently gotten involved with, putting themselves in danger just for her sake. It was super sweet and not at all aggravating. Not at all over the top or too much, nope. Certainly not.

Still, Bella preferred being at the Cullen mansion. At least there she felt like she was socializing, visiting and hanging out with them, not just being watched. She felt normal and not so on display. Really, she could never properly verbalize just how _awkward_ it was when she had to let Carlisle in through her bedroom window, one o'clock in the morning, and explain to him that she'd merely fallen out of bed and was not being eaten by a crazed vampire.

Honestly, she didn't know the man well enough for that to ever be a casual thing.

So that's where Bella found herself that afternoon, in her noisy truck, the engine rumbling through the steering wheel beneath her fingertips. She stared up at the more and more familiar mansion, her lips automatically turning up with a smile. It was impossible to _not_ be in a good mood at the Cullens'.

"It smells like a den of dead, rotting bodies."

Unless you were Jacob Black, apparently.

A sigh heaved at Bella's shoulders and she frowned. "Why yes, Jake, it _is_ incredibly kind of them to invite you over to their house for lunch. To allow you on this side of the border for once. So, _so_ thoughtful, I agree."

"I'm only allowed here if you bring me," he pouted, large arms crossed over his chest. Bella finally looked at him, eyes tracing his thick black hair, finally long enough to just pull back in a tie. One of his more subtle acts of defiance, refusing to keep cutting his hair like Sam demanded of them all. He was growing it out long again, and Bella couldn't be happier. "So it's not as thoughtful as you think. I still feel like I'm being slighted."

Bella snorted, getting out of the truck and shoving her keys in her pocket. "You are, dickbag. For the very reason you've been scowling since you got here. You still want them dead."

"So?"

She gave him a look, as if to throw his words back in his face, while they stepped up to the door. "What do you mean, _so?_ People don't wish death on other people and end up being best friends. People don't wish death upon people, period."

"Not even Paul?" he asked with a twitch of his lips, eyebrows raised ever so slightly. He reached a big, beefy hand up to slam it against the door in a single knock.

Her face darkened and she huffed, lowering her voice to a level she hoped the Cullens wouldn't hear. "Keep your mouth shut about Paul."

"You didn't tell them? Your bloodsucker secret service squad?" He seemed more shocked than anything. "Really? Isn't this the whole reason why we're here?"

"No, they don't know why – _fuck_ , Jake!" she hissed when the door swung open to reveal Esme's concerned face. "You big mouth!"

The motherly woman breezed out onto the porch, her hands resting on Bella's shoulders as golden eyes scrutinized her face. "What happened with this Paul? Did he hurt you? Is that why you were limping around the house yesterday?"

"You fucking tool," she hissed to Jake, digging her elbow into his ribs. He let out a growl that had Esme stepping in front of Bella protectively until he rolled his eyes. "Esme, this is Jacob Black. Jake, this is Esme Cullen. Whom you still owe an apology to."

Her brother scowled, eerily similar to Bella's and she briefly wondered if they spent _too_ much time together, and nodded at Esme. "Sup."

"Good afternoon, Jacob," Esme greeted in return. Her smile was bright, her eyes genuine, and Bella could see Jake's confusion. "It's so lovely to have you here, I've been baking all day. Bella tells me you eat a lot of food."

Despite them being mortal enemies, his rage and hatred towards her kind buried deep into his bones, Jacob still lit up like a kid on Christmas at the mention of baking. He took a big sniff, reminding Bella of the puppy he was, and bounced in place. "I smell brownies, Bells. _White chocolate brownies!"_

Ushering them in, Esme closed the door behind her and pointed down the hallway. "This way to the kitchen. I have a feeling we're going to need these brownies to keep the peace."

"Good thinking," Bella muttered, following the two closely. Jake paused in the entrance to the grand kitchen, where _all_ of the Cullens waited, and Bella sidled up to him, leaning against his side. She felt his trembling subside, even if his body remained rigid and stiff. "Guys, this is Jacob. Jake, these are the Cullens. Alice you know, Edward, Jasper, Victoria, Jessica, Rosalie, Wensley, Emmett, and Carlisle."

Carlisle stepped forward, hesitating only when Jake's chest rumbled. Not quite a growl, but a warning nonetheless. Multiple eyes in the room darkened, a few Cullens shifting on their feet. Bella nudged Jake and he stopped. "Good to officially meet you, Jacob."

Both he and Bella stared down at Carlisle's outstretched hand waiting to be shook. Jake's lip curled up over his teeth in a sneer and he glanced down at Bella, lifting his big shoulders and letting them fall. "Tell him I'm not touching them."

"Tell him yourself." Bella rolled her eyes.

"I'm not touching you."

Despite his rudeness, Carlisle's lips quirked up in a smile. "Fair enough. I know how hard this is for you, simply being here without shifting. I'm sure you've dozens of instinct flaring right now, demanding you to switch to the wolf."

"Yeah," Jake's head tilted to the side as he appraised the man, "not dissimilar to someone trying to rip your skeleton out of your skin. Hurts like you wouldn't believe."

Carlisle's eyes widened while Bella's chest filled with concern. "Does it always feel like that?"

"Only when there are leeches around," Jake replied more casually than Bella was expecting. He wasn't being friendly, but there was a startling lack of hostility. He sounded... numb, almost. She supposed it was his attempt to keep his promise and be civil. "Part of the reason we hate you so much. You literally cause agony just by existing near us. The lady said there were brownies?"

Bella shook her head but steered Jacob over towards the kitchen island. The closer they got to the Cullens, the less willing he became until she was throwing all her weight into his back to shove him to the counter. "Her name is Esme. Remember that," she grunted, puffing for breath and leaning against the counter beside him.

"Doubtful," he muttered around a bite of gooey white chocolate. Another rumble escaped his chest but this one was undoubtedly pleased.

"Who knew all the mutt needed was a couple of treats to make him wag his tail?"

Everyone looked over at Rosalie, sitting at the kitchen table, staring down at her magazine as if she were the only one in the room. "Rose..." Esme warned quietly.

"This the blonde bitch you were talking about?" Jake asked, his voice tight but face still open.

Bella choked on her bite of brownie, eyes wide. "Jake!"

"Trying to get under my skin, pup?" Rosalie asked, a golden brow raised. She set her magazine down, finally looking up at him. Her eyes were defiant, if not a little icy. Bella had spent the past two weeks doing her best to avoid this pair and another, more intense pair. She still wasn't sure if Rosalie and Wensley wanted her dead or not. "Maybe I'll come a little closer and, what was it, pull the skeleton out of yours?"

His chest puffed up, brownie down on the plate and forgotten. "Then I'll show you just how much of a pup I am, Pale Face."

"How about we just skip this part?" Bella said, hand on Jake's chest and the other raised in front of Rosalie who stood from her chair. "You know, the pointless antagonizing that will ultimately just hurt or upset those you actually care about, instead of triggering your targets."

The room was heavy with silence, only broken by two heartbeats, both equally fast. Bella's hand on Jake's chest clenched, gripping his shirt tight as the room faded in and out, until she was leaning against him and gasping in a jagged breath. She heard Rosalie scoff behind her. "I was just having some fun, no need to throw a fit."

"Bella?" Alice asked hesitantly. She blurred up to her friend, ignoring the way the wolf stiffened, and put her hand on Bella's back. "Are you okay?"

Switching from Jake to Alice, Bella wrapped her arms around the pixie and leaned into her embrace. Her cool skin did wonders soothing Bella's overheated skin, and she sighed lightly. "I'm fine, just a little dizzy."

"That's been happening a lot lately," Alice pointed out. Her voice was concerned, almost pained, and she looked over Bella's shoulder at her father.

Jake rested his big hand on Bella's shoulder, looking around the room again until he found Esme. She was the only one he could stand right then. "This is why we're here, isn't it? You guys are gonna figure out what's going on with Bells?"

"We're going to try," Carlisle corrected. He blurred across the room, over to the trio, and gently pulled Bella out of Alice's embrace. His lips were pressed in a firm line, a bag in his hand, and he led her to a chair to sit down in. "Your scans and bloodwork all keep coming back clean. Every test we've run has told me you're perfectly healthy. You have no health issues, Bella."

"Right," Jacob laughed sarcastically. "Clearly you've never heard her scream until her voice gave out, holding her face so tight she left bruises, all because of those fucking headaches." His tone and face were dark, angry, and a tremor rippled down his back.

The Cullens tensed but remained quiet, knowing well enough not to poke the wolf who was desperately trying to keep hold of his control. Edward's voice was soft, measured, and as calm as he could make it. "What he's trying to say is that Bella is healthy. Her headaches and dizzy spells aren't because anything is _wrong_ , they're because she's different."

"Different how?" Bella asked, looking up from her feet. She felt Alice's cold presence by her side and glanced up to see her pixie standing right next to the chair, staring down at her intently. She leaned into Alice's side, smiling when a stoney arm wrapped around her shoulders, and dainty fingers traced patterns in her shirt.

Carlisle smiled, pulling out a notepad from his bag. "That's what we're going to try and figure out. I've been gathering notes on you, Bella, I hope you don't mind. I've been trying to collect as much information about you as I can, to try and do some research. I've been able to cross off vampire, human, and shifter from the list, but I'm afraid it _is_ short list. There is only one other species I am familiar with. After that, we'll be wading the dark together."

Despite this rather bleak news, Bella felt comforted. The together part, his smile, and Alice hugging her close, all did wonders easing her nerves. She had been alone with this for so long now, a little company was welcome. "What species is that?"

"Werewolf."

Murmurs broke out through the room and Jacob cocked his head to the side, staring down at the doctor curiously. "Actual Lycans? Those really exist?"

"Not technically," Carlisle replied with a frown. "They were driven to extinction almost one thousand years ago, but there are records and old enough vampires who can prove their existence. Any other species; stories, legends, myths... are simply theoretical at this point. Until proven they exist or do not exist, they remain only a possibility. While Bella here is not human, not vampire, not shifter, and probably not lycan, she is _something_."

"A freak until the end, eh brother?" Jacob barked out a laugh, clapping Bella's shoulder so rough she almost toppled out of the chair.

Alice swallowed her hiss and turned dark eyes on Jacob. "She's a girl, you know."

"Yeah." He watched her until he rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Bells, explain it to your girlfriend here. I want some more brownies."

Cheeks aflame, Bella huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. "She's not my girlfriend!" she hissed at him. She felt Alice flinch and put space between them, looking up to see her angle her face away. Bella's breath hitched and she felt like kicking herself, feeling almost every pair of eyes in the room boring into her face. "I mean... I just... we've never..."

"Back to your list, Carlisle?" Alice asked, gliding around the island to stand by Jasper and Victoria. A scarred hand wrapped around her much smaller one and Bella watched the rigidness of her shoulders relax, even as Alice avoided her eyes still.

The doctor nodded, a slight frown on his face. He looked from his daughter to Bella and shook his head. "Right. So, I'm afraid I don't have much as you're quite the private girl, Bella, and you simply haven't shown many signs of your... inhumanity. As of now, I have your headaches, your sensitivity to light, heightened hearing, your possible vision that night we found you in the woods, and your black eyes."

"You have black eyes?" Jessica asked curiously. She was sitting at the table next to Rosalie, her head resting against the blonde's shoulder, fingers tracing patterns on the ice queen's thigh. Probably to keep her silent and subdued while Jake was still there, as to not cause another fight.

Bella fidgeted under all the intrigued golden eyes. She snuck a peek at Alice, whose arms were crossed as she stared at the wall but couldn't fight the curiosity off her face. "Um, sometimes."

"They don't know that either?" Jacob asked, his voice full of disbelief. "I thought you said they were your friends? You don't tell them anything! Why are we even here?"

Annoyance bubbled into irritation and a spike of anger. Bella ground her teeth together, glaring at her brother. It was his fault she said something dumb and hurt Alice's feelings. She turned back to Carlisle abruptly, her back painfully straight. "My eyes change colours. Black, brown, blue, green, _pink, orange,_ yellow, red. Any colour you can think of. That's why I wear the glasses, I'm not sensitive to light, it doesn't trigger my headaches, I just can't stop my eyes from changing colours."

That got everyone's attention as they all leaned and shifted, trying to get a peek for themselves. Bella sighed and Carlisle hummed. "Does it hurt when they change?"

"No."

"How often do they change?"

"Depends. Sometimes I can go hours with one colour. If I'm worked up, they change with each rise of emotion."

He nodded, hand flying across his pad, ink flowing behind as he jotted this all down. "Does the pupil ever change?"

"Rarely," she said. "But Jake here's pointed out them being slit, like a cat's, or huge. Like... like they take up the whole eye, like a shark. But that one was only once, and they were both followed with _really_ bad headaches that had me in the hospital for a couple days."

"So why the glasses then? To avoid explanation?"

"... Kids are mean," Bella muttered quietly, shrinking back into the chair and crossing her arms over her chest. Carlisle's gentle eyes watched her carefully. "They, um, they used to lock me in sheds. Push me into water filled ditches or deep puddles, ya know, see if a Witch floats. Used lighters to heat up their silver necklaces and press them into my skin; burned a couple crosses into my back that way. Renee didn't let me go to sleepovers anymore after that and bought me my first pair of reflective shades. Just dumb shit like that, ya know, so it's safer to wear the glasses."

The second the words left her lips, Alice was back by her side. Her own chest was rumbling with a growl that filled the entire kitchen, her hands all over Bella as if she could go back in time and swat away any little hands that tried to hurt her. Chilly lips pressed against her cheek, over and over, in between "How dare they"s and "I'm so sorry"s.

Carlisle's hand closed around hers, meeting Bella's eye over Alice's shoulder. His face was concerned, sympathetic, as his eyes burned with an indignant, protective light she'd only ever seen sent her way by Charlie and Renee. "I am so _sorry_ for the ignorance of your childhood abusers, Bella. If I could change it, I would, and I am so very proud of the strength it must have taken to get past that."

The skin under her wristbands itched and she stared down at her knees, unable to meet his eye.

"The past is the past," Bella mumbled. She blinked back the heavy sting in her eyes and cleared her throat. "We're not here for my sob story, we're here to figure out what the fuck I am, right?"

"Hell yeah!" Jacob agreed, slamming his fists together. "We can hunt down those little pricks another time and beat them senseless. Today we do science and... and science-y shit."

"Well put," Alice murmured. She still clung desperately to Bella but looked over her shoulder to meet Jacob's gaze. The two shared a look of understanding, recognition of how _livid_ they were at Bella's revelation of her past. They might not have liked each other, might have hated each other, but they couldn't _not_ respect one another. Each loved Bella, and they shared some kind of bond through that.

He scoffed but looked away, hands in his pockets. Kicking the leg of Carlisle's chair, he waited until he had the vampire's attention. "Figure I should mention, but..." he was struggling to get the words out, that much was clear. Carlisle waited patiently. "That day we fought, we really _fought_. I lost control and I went at her, nothing but rage in my heart. She walked away with a couple stitches and I had broken ribs for a few hours."

"Impossible," Emmett said from his corner of the room. He leaned forward, scrutinizing Bella, and then Jacob. "Nah, no way. Boo's a badass, don't get me wrong, but she's... well she isn't human, but you know what I mean. You're a shapeshifter, that's almost like her wrestling one of us."

"If we stank like wet dog and garbage, all rolled into one foul, rotting mush," Rosalie muttered to herself.

Jacob growled but Emmett continued on. "You're not as strong on your own, or as fast, but she shouldn't have been able to touch you, dude."

"Well, _dude_ , she did more than touch me," he snapped back. It was like every time one of the vampires spoke, it set him off. Whether it was antagonizing or not, his arms shook and his body trembled. "She probably would have snapped my neck if Nick hadn't bit her."

Alice glared up at the boy from her chair next to Bella's, so close she was practically sitting on the taller girl's lap. Not that Bella minded. It was the only thing keeping her quiet. "Why did you attack her anyway? I thought you were _brothers_ , whatever that means."

"Means family," Bella murmured to her quietly.

Slowly, Alice softened and chose to play with Bella's hands instead of going after Jake.

The giant gave a smug nod. "We were arguing, I was pretty mad already. She hit me... hard, when I put my foot in my mouth. By the time I blinked away the stars, she was... she wasn't sparkling like you all do, but she was almost glowing, and her eyes were golden. Her skin was kinda hard too, not granite like you, but close. Then we tossed each other around the yard, trashed her car, and the rest is too fuzzy to remember."

"Hmm." Everyone looked to Carlisle as he rubbed his chin, squinting at Bella. "That makes a certain amount of sense, actually. Edward-"

"I'm curious to see if it works, myself," Edward cut in, already across the room and next to Carlisle. They exchanged spots; Carlisle standing to watch while Edward pulled his chair closer to Bella's. "Would you take my hand, Bella?"

She stared down at it, looked to Carlisle, then Alice, then Jake, and back to Edward. "How come?"

"A theory," the boy replied with a charming smile. "It won't hurt, I promise. If this works, we're one step closer to figuring you out, though."

"What do you want me to do?"

He waited for her to take his hand and then closed his other around hers, squeezing gently. "Nothing, Bella. Nothing at all, just simply hold my hand. Don't think, don't worry, just hold my hand."

The two stared at each other in silence while they held one another's hand. Jacob rolled his eyes and turned back to the food, already bored, while the others tried to follow the logic to this request. Most came up confused. Noticing Bella's growing discomfort, Carlisle grabbed his pad again. "Bella, do you ever suffer mood swings? Irregular ones, potent or explosive ones?"

"I guess, sometimes," she nodded. Didn't everybody? No, the Cullens didn't. She hadn't ever seen the Cullens lose their shit about anything, even the serious stuff. Jeez, what kind of zen meditation tricks kept them so calm and patient all the time?

He smiled. "Would you say you usually have them during or after extended periods of time spent with Jacob?"

"Hey!"

Ignoring his outburst, Bella thought on it, and slowly nodded again. "Now that I think about it, yeah. Why?"

"Part of my theory," he replied and went back to writing.

She wanted to ask questions, like what his theory was, if she should be worried, if Alice _wanted_ to be her girlfriend and that was why she had gotten upset? She wanted more brownies and to have a nap. She wanted to call up Renee because she still hadn't gotten to it, she wanted to go lay outside in the Phoenix sun, feeling the tickle of grass on her skin. She wanted Alice there next to her, keeping her cool, because as much as she hated being frozen, she despised being sweaty and hot even more.

Instead, she sat there and stared into Edward's kind golden eyes. Whatever this experiment was, she didn't want to ruin it. Even if it seemed like nothing was happening at all. She could hear the others getting bored, finding little things to occupy their minds, or muttering to one another. Actually, they were all pretty chatty. Talking over one another, and no two people having the same conversation. Nothing related to anything someone else said, it was like they were just voicing things aloud. Bella's brows scrunched together and she broke Edward's stare-

 _'His grand idea was to have them stare at each other for five minutes? What am I doing here? I don't even like the girl, I don't give a damn what she is.'_

 _'Poor boy, the pain must be killing him right now. The control he must have to be as civil as he is... Bella must mean a lot to him.'_

 _'Please figure it out, Carlisle. Please help her. She's hurting, I can see her hurting every day, and I can't do anything about it. Please help her, I can't stand to see her in pain. She means so much to me.'_

 _'Kidnap the Sandy Claws, lock him up real tight. Throw away the key and then turn out all the lights... gotta get Rosie to watch that movie with me again.'_

 _'Even the stench of dog can't mask her scent. Oh god, she smells so good. My throat has never burned like this before. Think of something else. Think of something else. Think of cars. Planes. Trains. Why doesn't anybody travel by train anymore? They were so elegant.'_

Bella shook her head, jabbing her thumb into her ear as she let go of Edward's hand. She spun in her seat, looking around the room at everyone. They all stared back. "What did you just say?"

"Who, dear?" Esme asked with a patient smile.

The girl's frown deepened. "All of you... you were all talking. About trains, the Nightmare Before Christmas, Jake."

"They weren't speaking it," Edward said as he squeezed her knee gently to get her attention. His eyes were dancing with excitement. "They were thinking it."

Multiple gasps echoed around the room. Bella tensed and Jake stepped close, both of their brows furrowed as each Cullen turned to the one closest to them, discussing this revelation. Alice squeezed Bella's hand softly until she looked at the pixie, who was beaming brightly. "Bella, you just read everyone's mind simply by holding Edward's hand for a few minutes."

"So? He reads people's minds all the time," she pointed out while she tried to wrap her head around the fact that she read minds. She just read minds. Like a superhero out of one of her own comics. Mind reading. Whoa.

"Edward is a vampire," Alice said. She tucked a loose lock of Bella's hair behind her ear, her smile soft and endearing. "It took the Bite and his transformation to be able to read minds, Bella. You went from an ordinary human to a mind reader in moments."

It was even more unbelievable when she put it like that.

"What does it mean?" she asked.

Carlisle was writing away again, not looking up from his pad. "I theorized that perhaps your eyes weren't the only things changing. When Jacob mentioned how similar you became to us, that your entire body had changed, I thought about it. You had a vision after touching Alice's face. You suffer the wolf's temper when you're around Jacob. Even in the time that you've been here, your heartbeat synced up to his. I decided to test this theory and see if you could mimic Edward's gift after contact with him, as I'm sure you'd be able to do with Jasper, Rosalie, and Victoria."

"What does that mean?" she asked again because, hello, in what world did any of that make sense?

Jake frowned. "Are you saying that if she spends too much time with you, she'll turn into a bloodsucker?"

"You couldn't say that with more disgust if you tried," Rosalie muttered with a roll of her eyes. She raised her chin. "Better than her chasing her tail all day with you."

He stormed forwards, ignoring the multiple hisses from various Cullens. A deadly warning that bounced right off of him and sank into Bella's chest. She grabbed the back of his shirt, feeling his entire body vibrating through the fabric. "Enough with the dog jokes, corpse. You're lucky to be even standing here right now, I should wipe you from the face of this earth just for existing. Now I find out my brother might die from association? You're on _real_ thin ice, blondie."

Her face was beautiful and terrifying, a scowl so fierce Bella might as well have been grinning at her classmates when she tried it, eyes black as coal. "Be a good boy and play dead, before I take you out back myself, Old Yeller."

"Fuck you-"

Bella jolted to her feet when he stalked forward more, stepping into his path. Rosalie's fists clenched, her shoulders rising as she prepared for a fight, with Emmett rolling his shoulders behind her. Backup, the deadliest kind of backup. She saw Wensley's grip on the table tightened until it cracked around his fingers, his onyx eyes trained on Jake. Even Edward looked ready to jump in, his knees bent slightly. "Jake!" Bella gasped, her eyes wild. "Stop it, stop it now."

"You're taking her side?" he snarled, wrenching his face down to look at her. His eyes were wide, incredulous and hurt, his face stormy. "I'm trying to protect you, she's _insulting_ me, and you take her side?!"

"I'm not taking any sides, I just don't want you to fight. You'll lose, Jake. Please!"

His entire frame was shaking and Bella's heart slammed against her ribs. He needed to stop. He really needed to stop. If he shifted, the Cullens would attack before he could hurt them. Her friends and family were going to tear each other apart. "I won't lose!" he roared, slamming his fist over his heart. "I'll tear them all to pieces!"

"You'll whine like the little pup you are, and then cry as I tear out your heart. Anything else and you're just fooling yourself," Rosalie goaded.

"Rose!" Alice hissed.

Fury rolled off of Jacob in waves. He yanked a chair out of his way, and it sailed through the kitchen into the wall with a bang. "Say that to my face, you fucking leech!"

"Just a few more steps, lassie, and we can end this right now."

She was right. Any closer and one of the Cullens would move. Everyone was strained, taut like a bow, ready to snap. Surprisingly, it was Bella. As Jake grabbed the table, about to flip it and start this bloodbath, Bella wrapped her arms around his large waist and pulled. He let out a surprised grunt, lifted from his feet and literally _tossed_ back into the kitchen island by Esme, while Bella whirled on Rosalie and pointed an accusing finger at her. " _Shut your mouth, Rosalie!"_

The snarl was animalistic, matching very slightly elongated canines while Bella stood there, body shaking.

The silence in the kitchen was palpable, thick and heavy, with nobody really wanting to break it. Rosalie's stiff posture relaxed, her arms lazily crossing over her chest as she stared at Bella. There was something undecipherable in that gaze. Slowly, those golden eyes blinked once and looked to Carlisle, eyebrow hitching up. "I assume that's a sufficient enough reaction for your second experiment? I'm done playing lab assistant now, Carlisle, if that's alright with you. This mutt can't take a joke and I think he's truly delusional enough to try and engage in a fight with me."

In the blink of an eye, she was gone, out of the kitchen and down the hall.

"Please forgive me, Bella," Carlisle breathed. He turned to her, taking slow steps until he was close, holding up his hands. Her chest was still heaving with laboured breaths, her eyes wild and angry beneath her glasses. "I did want to see if I could elicit a wolf... fit from you. After Jacob's speculation of you becoming a vampire, this seemed like the quickest way to test it. If you could Shift into a wolf then, potentially, you could turn into a vampire. Rosalie saw my notes and, well, you know how she likes to help."

There was an angry scoff from Jake as he rubbed his sore back. Esme's kitchen island was ruined, half of the countertop in pieces by his feet. Bella threw him with more force than she meant to. "Way to pick them, Bells. Your friends are great. Really. Couldn't be happier that this is the bunch you chose; deranged, smelly, bloodsuckers."

"Fuck you, Jacob," she snapped and he flinched at his full name. She looked over her shoulder at him and though he could not see the glare, he certainly felt it. "I'm so sick of you being a dick to them."

He shook his head, sneer back in place. "Trust me, this is me being nice. She may have been insincere, but I wasn't. Thank _God_ you're not actually dating the little one."

"I'll date who I want to date," Bella fumed when she saw Alice's shoulders droop. She stormed up into Jake's face, poking him in the chest so hard he winced. "You'll be supportive like you said you would, and you won't say one _single_ more bad thing about Alice. I got thrown through a window by Paul the other day, for you. You owe me, so pipe down, _calm_ down, and pass me a mother-friggin' cookie, they look divine."

They stared each other down as the Cullens remained silent, watching on anxiously. Bella shifted her weight to her hip, holding out her hand, and stared up at him. Jake's lips twitched, his brows furrowed, but eventually his face smoothed out. As always, he did his best to put Bella first and forced himself to relax. "They're pretty decent," he agreed and dropped a cookie into her hand. "Not as good as Sue's, but a close second."

"Oh shit, I _love_ Sue's baking!" Bella gushed with a nod. "You know that square she makes, with the marshmallow and that goo in the middle? She always made it for Thanksgiving, remember? I've been craving it for _years_."

Like that, their fight was forgotten and the two were pals again, thoroughly stumping the others in the room. Most of the Cullens broke off to do their own things in the house once Carlisle declared his experimentation done for the time being. There was nothing else too pressing he needed to ask or do, and he disappeared up to his study with his notes. Promises of a more substantial answer for Bella left her with a small, grateful smile to him. The only Cullens who stayed in the kitchen were Esme and Edward, whom both zipped around at blurring speeds to clean up the broken island, Wensley scowling in the corner like a statue of fury, Alice who lingered by the large kitchen window, and Victoria whispering at the pixie's side.

Awkwardly standing in the middle of the room was Bella and Jake, who had the decency to look apologetic and was helping to pick up Esme's baking. She cooed and gently patted his hands, taking the baking to put on a plate and hand back to him, always nothing but kind and genuine. He muttered uncomfortable but sincere thanks, even as he glared at any other vampire in the room.

So while it may have been possible to be in a sour mood at the Cullens', it _was_ impossible to be sour towards Esme. Bella should have figured.

Edward finally blurred to Bella's side, his hand reaching out to steady her as she stumbled back, but paused in the air. He always looked entirely torn on what to do around her, physically speaking. She knew from his vague admissions that he was scared of hurting her, hurting humans in general. While his control over his thirst was better than most, he had a nagging voice in the back of his head always telling him he would find a way to hurt people.

With that in mind, he lowered his hands to his pockets and gave her a smile instead. "Are you alright, Bella?"

"A little stressed, a little embarrassed, and a little tired," she shrugged her shoulders, "but what else is new, eh? I'll be okay. How are the others, if I may ask?"

He looked around the rather empty room, pressing his lips into a thin line. Amber eyes flicked around the room, landing on each occupant, and to the ceiling, through the walls. As if he could track each and every thought, which, she supposed, he could. "A little wound up, given everything that took place. We're not used to the wolves as much as they're not used to us. While our own reactions are not so painful, they are... overwhelming. Nearly as strong as the instincts of our thirst, I'd say."

"You want to drink him?" she asked quietly, even though she knew everyone else under the roof would hear.

Judging by the way Jake's back got rigid, she knew he was listening. Still, he struggled to focus on Esme as she went on about experimenting with ingredients to get different results with the same recipe. Edward chuckled and shook his head. "God, no. Rosalie may have been trying to push his buttons but she wasn't exaggerating, the wolves are absolutely _stained_ with a stench that repels my kind. I just meant that it is a powerful urge to feed, for us, and an equally powerful urge to... reject them. There is a small but _loud_ voice in my head screaming at me to run from him, to never stop running, put as much distance as I possibly could between us. His existence doesn't cause me pain but it assaults every sense in my body with a very distinct _NO_ sensation."

"What about with me?" Bella asked curiously, unable to keep her gaze from straying over to Alice. She was in a very serious but silent conversation with Victoria.

Edward followed her line of sight, even if he couldn't actually see she was looking that way. He stepped closer and lowered his voice, hoping to be quiet enough that at least the _entire_ house would not hear them. "Not even when you take on that wolfish quality, Bella. There is something very compelling about you, if you hadn't noticed. Some of us can't get enough."

Alice glanced up then, brilliantly golden eyes big and full of _life_ , full of _Alice_ , and Bella's heart hammered against her ribcage enthusiastically. Enough to make Alice's lips pull up at the ends in a smile. Bella felt herself mirroring it absently. "Good."

"My God, woman, I couldn't possibly eat another bite!" Jacob exclaimed, his voice almost distraught. "I'm going to burst as it is, stop fussing over me! I can't take anymore, I can't – wait, cherries, did you say?" He brushed the crumbs from his face and hesitantly stepped closer to Esme, peering over her shoulder. "Well, I suppose there's always room for cherry-topped cookies."

Rolling her eyes, Bella stepped away from Edward with a wiggle of her fingers. "Oi, brother, you finally playing nice?" she asked with a wicked grin.

"Hm?" He noticed his proximity to Esme and shuffled backwards, reaching out to poke Bella's shoulder. She staggered back into the counter with a laugh. "Are we done here yet? You said it'd be quick and then you'd take me Christmas shopping for my dad."

Bella pouted but nodded. "Yes, yes, we can go," she grumbled and huffed at his excited face. "Go wait in the truck, if you want. I'll be right out." He was gone down the hall before she even finished the sentence and Bella sighed, turning back to Esme. "Do you guys celebrate Christmas?"

"We do." Esme's voice was soft, her face happy. Despite everything that had happened, she seemed truly glad that everyone went through with it. "Some of us like it more than others. Emmett, Alice, Jessica, and Carlisle all _love_ Christmas with a passion. Edward mostly puts up with it, and the rest of us are happy to play along for the others."

Nodding, Bella chewed on her lip thoughtfully. "So I should get Alice a gift?" She looked back up in time to see Esme's golden eyes give her a pointed look, and nodded again. "Get Alice a gift. Got it. Thank you for the treats, Esme, and I'm so sorry about your kitchen island here."

"Unfortunately this is not some uncommon occurrence, dear," Esme replied in a slightly exasperated tone. "But I appreciate your apology all the same. Now run along before Jacob gets impatient. I'm not confident Rosalie won't want to poke the puppy again before he leaves."

Deciding to do just that, Bella turned on her heel and made quick work to the front door. The foyer was probably one of her favourite parts of the house, that she'd seen, at least, and she always lingered there. Always glanced at the spiral staircase, fingers itching to run along the railing. There was just something about the foyer she was drawn to. Perhaps because it meant she had just arrived, or it was the last stop before leaving.

With a sigh, she reached for the door handle and pulled, only for the door to swiftly click shut again. Following the pale hand up an equally pale arm, she turned, coming face to face with Alice. Like. _Face to face._ The pixie wore height defying heels that brought her up closer to Bella's face than normal, a hand on either side of the taller girl's shoulders to keep the door shut. She was leaning in closer and closer, Bella's breath catching in her throat when petite hips pressed against her own until she was _pinned_ to the door.

She felt Alice's cool breath fan out across her lips and though she desperately tried to pull her head back, rest it against the door, tilt it up so she could look away and remember to breathe... she couldn't. In fact, she felt herself dipping lower, closer to Alice's face. Her eyes fell shut and her nose bumped against Alice's, and she could _feel_ the pixie's words.

"You weren't going to say goodbye."

"I definitely was," she argued weakly. Her muddled brain was trying to hold onto any rational thought other than _Alice Alice Alice_ but it was proving impossibly difficult. "Good-goodbye."

It said something, to how close they were, that she actually _felt_ Alice's smile. She could picture it in her mind, perfectly red painted lips curving up, the corner caught between pearly whites. _God_ , that lip bite. Nope. Goodbye rational thought, goodbye common-sense, goodbye anything other than this tiny vampire and the fierce _hold_ she had over Bella.

"That doesn't count."

Bella sucked in a sharp breath, jagged and feeling painful in her chest. She did it wrong. How does someone _breathe_ wrong? Who knows, but she definitely just did it wrong. The temptation to close that tiny, _minuscule_ distance between them was powerful enough it made her knees wobble and threaten to collapse. There was a weaker temptation to pull away, take another breath, and clear her head. This foggy mind... she didn't like it, but she couldn't deny how much she loved the cause.

Still, she could do neither, and so she was stuck. Furiously pushing, trying to be closer to Alice, always closer, or pull away completely, while her body did neither. It just stood there, vibrating, _humming_ outside of Alice's orbit, perfectly content to simply be near her. Totally oblivious to its mind screaming for action.

 _What a dumb body._

"Sh-should..." Bella licked her lips, brain exploding in her skull when she tasted something that definitely _wasn't her, holy shit was that Alice, did I just lick Alice's lips too?_ Just the barest hint of something sweet, and her hands gripped at the door behind her back, nails scraping against the paint. "Can I k-"

That bloody door swung open behind her and the rest of Bella's words were swallowed whole as she toppled backwards. She watched Alice's black eyes shoot open, alarmed and then amused, as she caught herself on the doorway instead of following Bella out. After what felt like forever, Bella landed back in a broad, hot chest, Jacob's arms catching her easily. She scowled up at him, glaring at his stupid upside down face. He looked annoyed but also like he was going to laugh. "What's taking so long, damn it?"

"You little," she roughly righted herself back up, getting her feet beneath her, and shook him off, "you _large_ ," the words were caught in her throat still, cheeks aflame, mind racing, body trembling with _something_ , "you just... you can't... you... _God_ , Jake!"

He watched her storm down off the porch and to the truck, violently slamming the door closed behind her. "What?" he called, and looked back at Alice. "What did I do?"

Ebony eyes stared at him blankly for a moment before she sighed, crossing her arms and leaning against the doorway. She scrutinized the boy and raised her chin in the air, glancing away to the truck where Bella was studiously ignoring them both. "You were born."

" _Rude!"_

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 **Hahah, LOLGuest, I chuckled at your review. Keep calling him Wanker in your head, I bet Bella does.**

 **Firenubs, you are one of the main reasons I can't stick to that fuckin' schedule. Every time you review I'm like " _blammo, gotta get the next one out for firenubs"._ So cheers, mate. **

**Same with you, Vege(with your grand canyon-esque name). I appreciate always seein' you here.**

 **Ali, I misread your review and thought you said _heavy_ on the rose/bella confrontation. Jk, I wrote this months ago so what can ya do. Fear not, their friendship (rose would never admit to it) evolves soonish. **

**KryptonianGuest, I'm so fuckin HAPPY you're digging Lauren and their friendship as much as I am. I have grand plans for her in the future.**

 **Cloud, my dude, your in-depth reviews sustain me. What is food, what is nourishment, when I have your words? Also, ooooh jeez. I don't know if I wanna spoil it now and send you that doc. With the chapters I'm adding, I kinda wanna tease, and see if you guess right. If anyone does, it'll be you, I think.**

 **Procrastination-Addict, your review was lovely and your english was great. I'm psyched you like Jess, I really like her too. She's, by far, the most innocent character in this story, and it will definitely be important to Bella later on.**

 **peace out, my guys.**

 **Paige**


	14. Chapter 14

**CULLEN FAMILY** : Esme and Carlisle. Rosalie and Emmett. Jasper and Victoria. Edward. Alice. Wensley and Jessica.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Twilight.

 **Rated:** T.

 **Author:** xPaige Turnerx

 **Summary:** COMPLETED AND WAITING TO POST. "Trust me, dating a vampire and having a wolf for a brother are the LEAST complicated aspects of my life. Every now and then my nose reenacts the elevator scene from The Shining, and I randomly wake up in the woods. Normal was shot to Hell a long time ago."

" _At the center of your being_

 _you have the answer;_

 _you know who you are_

 _you know what you want."_

 _-Lao Tzu_

Their sneakers scuffing against the tiles of the floor were the only noise around them at the mall. It was a mall, and it was the weekend, so it was busy and there were people everywhere, but even that noise seemed to fade away. Nothing breached the bubble of awkward, uncomfortable silence that surrounded them. Nothing but their shoes on the floor.

Bella snuck a glance up beside her, trying to subtly catch a look at her brother's face. It was set in a hard frown, eyebrows pinched together in thought, dark eyes studying the floor before them. His hands were in his pockets, arms no longer across his chest, so at least he was open again. Not as closed off. That was a good sign.

She sighed and looked back across the mall, eyes skating along each sign to the store they passed.

This time it was Jacob whose gaze flicked down to his brother, attention caught by the frustrated sigh. Her eyes, as always, were hidden away, but he had spent enough years learning to read her. By now, he was a natural. From the way her bottom lip was slightly swollen, Bella often chewed on it when she was anxious. Her fingers were twitchy, swapping from tugging at the hem of her shirt, to tapping patterns on her thighs. Even her shoulders were raised slightly, her defences on the precipice of rising, ready to defend herself at a moment's notice.

"I was thinking maybe a new knife," Jake said suddenly, stopping in the middle of the hall. He looked back over his shoulder, trying to remember which end of the mall a particular store was at, and scratched the top of his head. "My dad's is dull, no matter how often he sharpens it, and I know he's planning a big bonfire next month."

Bella chuckled, walking to the big window display of the jewellery store they were in front of. She leaned her shoulder against the glass and absently looked inside. "And we all know it's not a proper bonfire until Billy carves the first log."

"It's tradition!" Jake grinned, coming to stand next to her. He eyed the expensive looking jewellery inside. "It's also good luck. Have you ever witnessed a bonfire end in any way other than spectacularly?"

She seemed to consider this and shrugged her shoulders. "I guess not. Actually, last time I went down there for some fishing gear with Charlie, they'd gotten in these cool looking rods. I think Billy and Charlie will love them."

"Hah! I knew I brought you along for a reason. Two people down and Christmas is still a month away."

Finally, Bella looked away from the window, levelling a skeptical look at the giant boy. "I can't tell if you honestly think this is good time management. We should be _done_ by now, not just starting."

Huffing, Jake crossed his arms over his chest. "Well I've only got three people to buy for, so... technically I am almost done. Besides, I already know what I'm getting you, I just have to go sometime when we're not hanging out."

"You don't have to get me anything, Jake," Bella said with a roll of her eyes that was lost on the boy. "Or your present could be telling me what to get you because I don't _know_!"

"You wound me!" he gasped, clutching his heart and staggering backwards into a group of people walking by. "Oh, sorry. Here, let me just, sorry, here." Sheepishly, he picked up one of the bags he trampled and handed it back to the man, all before dramatically collapsing back against the wall and sliding down to the floor. "Here I thought my brother knew me better than anyone else in the world!"

Unable to smother her snicker, Bella strolled over and slid down the wall next to him. The two ignored the curious looks sent their way and leaned against each other. "That was one of the more ridiculous things I've seen recently, so thank you for that. I'm pretty sure you crushed that man's wife's Christmas present, too, so way to go."

"His fault for just dropping it like that. What if I was a thief? I'd be halfway out of the mall with that bag and he'd still be standing here. I bet you he's got a vice grip on that bag now."

"So he should be thanking you?"

"Exactly!" he laughed, large chest shaking. "Anyway, you wanna talk about dramatics? That was me mocking you and your little show you put on there. Like I didn't see that giant box all wrapped up with my name on it, under your bed."

Bella gasped, jolting up to look at him. She whacked her hand against his shoulder, grabbing his arm when he tried to defend himself, and shook him. "You saw that? What were you doing in my room, you little dweeb?! That was supposed to be a surprise!"

"I didn't peek, I swear! I didn't even shake it!" he chortled, trying to gently pry his arm from her grip. "Bella, I promise! I don't know what you got me, I can't even guess. It was the most non-descript box I've ever seen."

"It better be! I searched for _months_ for it, you little... ugh, Jake. It's the perfect gift and if you ruin it..." she warned, getting up to her feet.

He got up, holding up his hands with a wide grin. "I won't, I won't. I won't even mention it until Christmas, okay? We'll pretend this conversation never happened and just go get those gifts for our dads."

Scrutinizing him, Bella slid her hands onto her hips and hummed. Finally, she looked away, after he squirmed in place, and walked back over to the window. "Okay, but first come take a look at this. Alice wears chokers a lot, and this one has a violet pendant on it. Do you think she would like it? I could even engrave something on the pendant."

"I guess?" Jake said with the least amount of enthusiasm he could scrounge up. He pressed his forehead against the glass and looked to where Bella was pointing. It was pretty enough, a silk black ribbon with a silver clasp and a violet pendant on the front. "What would you carve into it?"

Again, Bella hummed under her breath. She traced her fingertips along the glass in the design, trying to imagine it in her mind. "A violet. The flower, I mean."

"Why? It's already that colour. Why not, like, her name or that crest they're always wearing?"

A blush worked its way up her neck, the tips of her ears singed red. "The violet means something."

"Means what?"

She side-glanced up at the boy and bit her lip. "I'm not sure you want to hear it. I know how squeamish you get whenever I bring up my affections for Alice, but I just... I want to get her something but I also want it to show her, you know, what she is to me. That I don't just see her as a friend. But I... I'm not so good with the words, you know? I mean, I'm not so good with the physical aspect either."

Bella paused, a devious smirk latching onto her face. "Well. I'm not _bad_ , really, in fact, I've been told I'm quite good at certain things, but she's the one with the most experience. Not that that's a bad thing, I don't _mind_ , I guess, it kinda sits like acid in my stomach when I think about her with people before me, but, hah, that's not. That's normal. Right? I _should_ feel sick thinking of her touching other people or them touching her – fuck – now I'm mad. They touched her and I can't even _tell_ her that I – what, what am I doing? I need help, Jake."

"Bells," he sighed out in exasperation, hands on his hips. His face was twisted up with something akin to disgust but was closer to frustration. Annoyance even. "I don't know."

She pouted, a whine sounding in the back of her throat while she shifted from foot to foot in front of him. "Come on, Jake. I can't do this by myself! You're supposed to be my wingman!"

"I don't," he crossed his arms over his chest again and scowled at the window, "I don't wanna. I don't want to think about you with that thing."

Her heart dropped into her sneakers but she kept her face impressively aggressive, refusing to reflect the hurt inside. "Well too bad, because I want to be with that thing. Get used to it."

"I'm trying."

"Try harder!"

He scoffed, shuffling back a few steps and rolled his eyes. "Look, just buy the stupid necklace thing. Whatever. It's pretty, flowers are pretty, you're both going to be pretty together. Happy?"

"No!" she snapped, stomping her foot. Well. She hadn't done that since she was seven years old, but apparently, this was a _stomp your foot_ issue. "You are my brother. You are my best friend. You are my confidante, my sounding board, my safe place. You are my _home_ , Jacob, and I need to feel safe and happy and secure in my home. I need to feel like I can be myself and be accepted and be supported in my home. I know that's selfish of me, expecting that from you, demanding that from you, in this situation, but it's where we are. It's what I'm doing. You don't have to like the Cullens, you don't have to pretend not to hate them, but you _do_ have to make an effort with Alice. She's off limits, you can't... you _have_ to treat her like a regular person because I need advice and support as if she were."

Her voice was high and fast, trembling and choppy. Jake could see her struggling to keep her composure, and took a few quick strides over to her. He clamped his large hands down on her shoulders, ducking to look at her face. "Hey, it's okay. I'm sorry. I... I'll do better, okay? I'll try harder. It's just, it's so much more difficult than I thought it was going to be, and I got lazy. Thought I could skirt around the edges and you wouldn't notice, wouldn't bring her up this often. You never talk about people this much, and I – that's no excuse. Okay. I'm going to be better, starting now. Just... it _is_ hard for me, remember that."

"That's disgusting, I'm your brother," she joked weakly.

The boy snorted, a tired but ultimately amused sigh heaving his shoulders. "Bella..."

"Okay." Bella nodded, staring down at her shoes as she blinked away the sting in her eyes. She sniffed once, ignoring her embarrassment, and nodded again. A lightbulb went off and she looked up quickly. "Okay, here. It's not a Cullen."

Jake's head tilted to the side. "Eh?"

"Alice. She's not a Cullen," she said earnestly. "She's just this girl, just this regular human girl, with a regular human family. Met her at school in Phoenix. There are no vampires. She's just this blue eyed, blonde haired girl, like-like from fucking Wonderland or some shit, got that? Keep it in your mind. I was new at school and I didn't have many friends yet, I'm always so hesitant to let people in, you know. I keep them away, in case they see my eyes."

"Bella."

Ignoring him, she continued and started pacing back and forth. "But she just... she didn't care that I always wear these shades. She didn't get offended by my sarcasm and jokes. She laughed. She thinks I'm funny and cute and charming." A smile curled at the corner of her lips, involuntary and genuine, the likes Jake wasn't used to seeing meant for other people. "I like _making_ her laugh, seeing her face light up, listening to the music she makes when I tell a dumb joke. She's thoughtful and kind and so genuinely nice to me, cares about me. And when I look at her, when I meet her eyes, my heart just... freaks the fuck out, has a seizure in my chest."

"And I'm happy for you, Bells, I am, but I-"

"I'm scared though. I've never felt like this before, never. I just don't know what to do, Jake, because what if it all falls apart? What if she stops thinking I'm funny and cute and charming? What if she starts getting offended by my jokes? Or worse. What if she starts laughing at someone else's jokes? Starts looking at someone else. Because I'm not enough. Because I can't... what if I lose her before I even have her all because I'm scared?"

He frowned deeply, stepping into her path to block her pacing. "Bella. Look at me." He waited until she did and gave her a serious look. "I'm not good at the whole matters of the heart thing, I'm destined to Imprint on my _one_ and that's that. I don't know how it works for people like you or her."

"I know, I just-"

Jake held up one finger. "But – hey – but listen. There are some universal truths and rules that apply all across different species. If you... if you like this girl, this human girl from Phoenix with a human family that are definitely not vampires, then tell her. Remember what your mom used to say? _You can learn to live with regrets but the what ifs will always haunt you_. So you give it your all, you give it your best, and in the end, if it all falls apart, you know you did everything you could. You know you fought and that's what matters. And you _know_ I will be there to pick up the pieces of your life. So stop getting defensive, take a chance, and tell her how you feel. Because even _I_ thought it was kinda shitty that you denied being girlfriends so emphatically."

Bella's eyes widened, her heart jumping up into her throat. "I panicked!"

He snorted. "Well I know that but she doesn't understand that. All she knows is you denied it pretty quick. So stop being a bastard and tell her that your heart soars or whatever cheesy shit you just said."

"I said seizure but-"

"Bella."

"No, yeah, I get your point, details aren't important," she agreed with furrowed brows. "Okay, well... alright then. So. I'm going to go buy that pendant and then we can go to the hunting store."

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It was weird.

Life was unpredictable, unless you were a certain little Cullen, it was wild and chaotic and just plain _weird_ sometimes, he knew this. He knew this quite well, he'd lived for so very long, obviously, he was going to notice a pattern. But this?

This was _weird._

Jasper's dark amber eyes tracked her movement, clumsy and uncertain as she stumbled through the woods in her sleep. He wasn't even sure how she kept getting out but she did. Every couple of nights one member of the family, whoever's turn it was to watch, would come home just exasperated. Nobody _knew_ how she did it, how she got out without their knowing, but she did.

Naturally, he assumed it was their own fault. Whether they got distracted, were lured into a lazy effort by the lack of _anything_ happening since the shirts, or because they weren't truly interested in protecting her. The last one mainly aimed at Rosalie and Wensley, though more so Wensley these days. She could hide it all she wanted, but Jasper could _feel_ the effect Bella had on his blonde sister.

So colour Jasper surprised when, on _his_ night, under _his_ watch, he looked up from his perch in the tree. Glanced towards the woods across the street and the familiar heartbeat within, and then back to the window before him. The bedroom was silent and he gasped, falling out of the tree to tear off into the woods.

And now here he was, following at a safe distance, watching this curious girl stumble around the woods. When asked, the others explained that after discovering her in the woods, they would usually scoop her up and carry her back to bed. She was none the wiser in the morning, and waking a sleepwalker was, apparently, a big no-no. He couldn't remember why, just that Carlisle said it was dangerous.

He knew he should take her back to her room. That was the right thing to do, that's what was expected. That's what Alice trusted him to do. Of course he would.

Just... just in a minute.

Curiosity was a _very_ dangerous thing, indeed. He was well aware of that. A temptress few could resist, able to lead you to your demise with one teeny, tiny, _simple_ word.

Why?

Everyone was borderline obsessed with figuring out just what their delightful little Bella was. Truth be told, he was too, of course. He eagerly wanted to know, just like the rest of them.

However, there was one question, asked some time ago now, that he was still waiting for an answer to. That his anticipation of the answer had been building and building and now he was _desperate_ to figure it out, to know _why,_ when all the others had simply let it go.

Everyone but Alice, he knew. He could feel her anxiety, her fear, her own desperation, frustration, anger, and resentment of it.

This question ate at both of them, and maybe that's why he lingered, why he didn't scoop Bella up right away. Why he followed her through the woods, to a small, _small_ clearing that held a grassy hill in the middle. Why he watched Bella lay back in the grass, her glasses reflecting the enormous trees reaching towards the sky. Why he stood close by, watching with rapt attention as her entire body relaxed and she sighed out in something akin to resignation and... something else, something jittery he couldn't _feel_ feel, but could feel.

"Why do you go into the woods, Bella?"

His voice was soft, gentle, breaking the silence that had saturated the forest. He ever so slowly approached, walking up the hill to kneel down next to the girl. Sound asleep, he didn't expect an answer. Foolish, considering that, sound asleep, she strolled through the woods.

"This is where they find me."

Her voice was familiar; distant, dull and yet full of something so sharp and bright it demanded attention, murmured like an afterthought. Alice's took on this quality whenever questioned in a vision.

Jasper frowned deeply, her answer only giving him more questions. "Who are they? Why here? What do they want with you?"

"This is where they find me."

He huffed, leaning back on his heels, and looked up at the sky. Clouds, dark and ominous. "Helpful. Though, I suppose, even if you were conscious you wouldn't know the answers to those questions. How are you to know who they are or where their intentions lie?"

"This is where they find me."

She kept saying it, with the same inflexions, the same tone, the same pace. Repetition was, admittedly, an annoyance of his, but he was accustomed to it-

His head tilted to the side.

He _was_ accustomed to it. With Alice. She'd mentioned it once, many years ago, that while it was uncommon to get the same vision twice, exactly the same, it happened. The universe trying to point out something important, something she needed to see, needed to know, she often said.

"This is important," Jasper murmured, getting to his feet. He looked around the clearing with a more critical eye, taking in each and every tree, every branch, every blade of grass beneath his feet. Nothing spectacular, and he didn't really know what he was supposed to be looking for. "Why is this important, Bella?"

"This is where they find me."

Jasper groaned, hand running through golden curls. "I know! You keep saying that! I get it, I'm missing something important." His golden eyes scanned again, more thorough; noticing every crack in the bark, every pebble in the light snow, every weed sticking up through the white blanket. "Why here? What is this place, what's the significance? Why is it important, Bella?"

"This is where they find-"

"I _know_ ," he roared, both hands in his hair. He was missing something, what was he missing? What were they all missing? Why were there vampires stalking her, why was she different, why did Alice fall for _this_ girl, what were they all missing? "I know _this_ is where they find you. This is _where_ they find you. This is where they _find_ you, Bella. I know. But why? Why do they find you? I don't know, you don't know, only they know. You just know this is _where_ they find... you..."

The gears in Jasper's mind shifted as he switched trains of thought, following down a different path. He slowly turned back to the girl shivering on the hill, one hand clutching her abdomen while the other tore at the grass beneath her. And suddenly a new question hit him, like someone dumped a bucket of ice water on him, like he walked into a wall. A new and, quite possibly, _much_ more important question he should have asked from the start. One that Bella, in this state, probably knew the answer to.

"Bella," he called gently, heart in his throat. " _How_ do they find you?"

Though she did answer his question, it was not in the way he expected and had him scooping her up and dashing back through the trees as fast as he could. Racing towards the Cullen mansion like the Hounds of Hell themselves were chasing them.

"This is where I die."

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 **Who ordered more plot? Boom. Y'all are lovely and deserve all the best things in life.**

 **peace**

 **Paige**


	15. Chapter 15

**CULLEN FAMILY** : Esme and Carlisle. Rosalie and Emmett. Jasper and Victoria. Edward. Alice. Wensley and Jessica.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Twilight.

 **Rated:** T.

 **Author:** xPaige Turnerx

 **Summary:** COMPLETED AND WAITING TO POST. "Trust me, dating a vampire and having a wolf for a brother are the LEAST complicated aspects of my life. Every now and then my nose reenacts the elevator scene from The Shining, and I randomly wake up in the woods. Normal was shot to Hell a long time ago."

" _At the center of your being_

 _you have the answer;_

 _you know who you are_

 _you know what you want."_

 _-Lao Tzu_

The howling of the wind was an ominous undertone to the night that was no lost on any of the Cullens as they sat around the grand old oak table. Though curious as to why they were gathered, no one dared to question it after Jasper came crashing in the front door with an unconscious Bella in his arms. The vampire had been shaken, eyes darting around wildly, and cradled her to his chest protectively when Alice had first blurred up to them.

After some debate, it was agreed that they would all let the girl sleep. The bags under her eyes were getting bad enough that not even her glasses could hide them; her treks out into the woods beginning to take their toll, not to mention the constant strain her body seemed to be under. If she wasn't dizzy these days, she was on the verge of passing out. Just the other afternoon, Victoria had to race over (perhaps just a _tad_ too fast to be human, thankfully no one noticed) and catch Bella when the girl dropped in the middle of the hallway at school. Though Bella tried to laugh it off as her "lame-ass human body bein' a bastard", Carlisle explained that it was physical exhaustion.

Physical exhaustion that not even slumber could rectify. Her body could not keep up with whatever it was housing, and was constantly on the cusp of giving out.

Across the table, Emmett dropped down into his chair. It creaked under his massive build, and he grinned with his usual boyish charm. "So, Boo snuck out again. On Jasper's watch, to boot. Not so high and mighty now, are you, mister? Trying to tell me I wasn't paying proper attention."

"I was wrong," Jasper agreed quietly. A small smile pulled at his lips, one he granted for only a moment. "If she wants out, she's getting out."

Edward frowned deeply, trying to sort through the chaotic mess of Jasper's thoughts. "That does not bode well for her, as Alice is the only one who seems to be able to keep her in bed."

"It won't be an issue after tonight. I'm certain Alice will refuse to leave her to venture out alone once she hears what I have to say," Jasper replied.

With a whoosh of air, Alice was at the table beside him. Black eyes stared down at him anxiously, her hands wringing together nervously. "And what is it you have to say? Why have you gathered us here tonight?"

"Did something happen to Bella?" Esme asked. She was leaning forward in her chair, hands clasped tightly on top of the table. Jasper could feel the worry seeping out of her like an ocean, so much that he had to actively block it. "Sorry," she murmured at his nauseous face.

He held up a hand and tried to smile reassuringly. "It's fine," he choked out before taking a calming breath. "Everyone is a little worked up. I fear I'm about to make it worse."

"What happened to her?" Alice demanded. The others looked up in alarm, not used to such an outburst from the usual optimistic pixie. She glanced around, hooking her fingers behind her back, and lowered her gaze to the table. "I'm sorry. Please, Jasper, please just tell me what happened that has you so frightened."

The empath placed his hand on her shoulder, pushing tranquillity out through his fingers until her rigid stance relaxed somewhat. "She... we can fight it, Alice, we can change it. You know the future is not set in stone."

"Jasper!" she exclaimed desperately. "Tell me!"

"Bella predicted her own death."

The words were like nails on a chalkboard, grating in each ear, painful to listen to. The table cracked under Esme's fingers, Emmett's jovial smile dropping like a ton of bricks, Jessica's hand flying up to cover her mouth and gasp. Edward's hand ran through his hair, Victoria cursing under her breath, and Carlisle shook his head sadly.

Tapping her nails against the table, Rosalie looked around the room and to her brother. "Does she have any idea what she said?"

"She was asleep," he shook his head, "I doubt she will remember anything, much like last time."

Alice pulled out the chair beside Jasper, sitting without looking down at it. She stared at the table as the room around her got fuzzy and distorted. Rosalie looked around again, back to her sister, and frowned deeply. "Look, Alice, as much as you like to boast about being the All Seeing Psychic, frankly, you're wrong. We are as close to perfect as it gets," she said objectively, if not a little sourly, "and you're wrong as often as you are right. Isabella is even farther from perfect than we are. Are you really going to put so much faith in this flimsy vision she's had?"

"I'm certainly going to take it into consideration," Alice snapped.

A golden brow raised, Rosalie lifted her chin in the air. "Consider it as much as you like, but don't give up before you've even tried. She only dies if you let her."

Looking from his mate, Emmett placed his hand atop hers and met everyone else's eye. "If _we_ let her."

Slowly but surely each Cullen gained their resolve and nodded, a silent pact formed. No harm would come to the girl so long as one of them could fight.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

Sunlight spilled in through the crack between the curtains of Alice's window, cutting through the darkness, slithering up the bed, and across Bella's back. Two ivory fingers walked along the expanse of her back, down to where her shirt was riding up along her ribs, into the light of the sun. They lit up like diamonds, reflecting the light in such a way that would probably take Bella's breath away if she witnessed it, but whose novelty had long since worn off for Alice.

The pixie hummed softly, feeling the skin beneath her fingertips warm up considerably in the light. She dragged her fingers back and forth along the soft skin, a smile tugging at her lips when goosebumps arose in her wake. Bella had, once, expressed her anxiety over sleeping with Alice, her worry that she'd lose interest or become frustrated.

(It was the fourth time they'd spent the night together and Bella had been jittery all evening. Alice had to resort to _begging_ her what was wrong, somehow unsurprised that Bella wasn't great at sharing. Even worse when it came to her own feelings. "I just... eight hours is a _long_ time, and that's the bare minimum I need. I prefer closer to ten, to be honest, but my god, I couldn't do that to you. Aren't you bored? How can you stand just _laying_ here all night with me?")

Alice had shrugged, smiled, and promised that she genuinely enjoyed their nights together, but went no further into detail. She hadn't wanted to weird out the cagey, skittish girl, risk chasing her off. (Not that she thought it would; Bella was _phenomenal_ with weird, but still. Irrational fears could not be argued with logic.)

The girl beneath her hand groaned, long limbs stretching out; feet reaching towards the end of the bed, hands smacking against the wall at the headboard. A big sigh expanded her chest before she let it out and relaxed back into the bed with a sigh, her face still buried in the pillow.

The truth was, Alice _l_ _oved_ spending the night with Bella because she loved spending _mornings_ with Bella. There was a change as the sun came up; the tension that plagued Bella's body, the nightmares and worries and fears that swarmed her mind, they all dissipated by the time morning rolled around. She became open, affectionate, peaceful, _soft_ , unlike any other given moment in the day. She was the brightest, most tranquil version of herself, and Alice was enraptured. Her heart felt like it was swelling in her chest and she cherished the moments.

" _Bellaaaa,"_ she sang quietly, curling up into the taller girl's warm side. Her chest vibrated with a purr she could not quell, while she buried her nose in Bella's shoulder to breathe in her intoxicating scent. "Wakey wakey, eggs and bakey."

It was a saying, but Alice also knew for a fact that there wasn't a snowball's chance in Hell that Esme didn't have _some_ assortment of eggs, bacon, and literally who knew what else, waiting for Bella downstairs.

Another groan turned into a hum, Bella's heart rate picking up as she gained consciousness. "Mmmmm, no."

"What?" Alice laughed, pulling back to shake her head. "Yes."

"No."

"Not no, Bella. Yes."

"Nooooo!" she whined into the mattress.

The vampire huffed, rolling topaz eyes to the ceiling. "How are you supposed to be a productive member of society today if you don't get out of bed? You have to wake up now." Bella refused to stir and her breathing was evening out again. "Bella, you know I can't let you go back to sleep. We have school in two hours."

"I don't wanna."

"Darling, I fear you don't have a choice," Alice said with a playful lilt. She heard Bella's heart stutter, and if she could blush she would have. She loved that she could see and hear the effect she had on Bella. "Don't say I didn't warn you."

Finally prying open her eyes, Bella lifted her face until her chin rested on the bed and she stared through her dark locks to the headboard. She could feel Alice shifting around beside her but wasn't ready to leave such a soft, warm haven just yet. "What does that mean?" she asked, voice still gravelly with sleep. "Alice? A- _Alice!"_

In a move she didn't see coming, both literally and figuratively, Alice straddled her back. Or, more accurately, her ass. The pixie leaned down, her cool stomach pressed against Bella's exposed back, fingers lightly dancing up her sides, touching her just enough to alert her to their presence. Her lips brushed against Bella's ear as she spoke, and Bella could hear the grin in her voice. "Tell me, Bella, are you ticklish?"

"I-I-" Bella gulped, her heart hammering in her chest. She didn't dare move, lest she press into the teasing fingers, and fisted the bed sheets in her hands. "This course of action is inadvisable, Alice Cullen. Be _very_ ] careful how you choose to proceed."

The little minx giggled, the sound shaking her chest, and Bella could feel it all down her back, racing through her body to her toes and up again, settling in the pit of her stomach. " _Alice,"_ she pleaded again.

"Oh." This time it was Alice's turn to groan, letting her head fall forward to bury her face in the crook of Bella's neck and shoulder. She squeezed shut ever darkening eyes. "Do that again."

"Wh..." Bella's brows furrowed. "Say your name? Alice?"

"No, not like... in that breathy sigh again."

A smirk tugged Bella's lips up. "You earn your breathy sighs, lady. I don't just go handing them out willy-nilly."

"Hah!" Alice gasped, sitting up again with a bright face. "Willy-nilly? Who says that? How _old_ are you?"

Giggling turned into full blown laughter that had Alice falling sideways off of Bella, into the bed next to her. Bella finally sat up, slipping on her glasses, to stare down at the pixie next to her. "Everybody says that," she pouted. "Hey. Hey! That's a perfectly normal thing to say! _You're_ old! Alice!"

Warm fingers were poking her side, her shoulder, her thigh while Bella continued to whine. She struggled to squash her laughter and sat back up, her grin threatening to split her face in two. She stared up at Bella with never-ending affection. "You're so awkward, Bella. That was you trying to flirt, right?" The blush that singed her ears red and scratching the back of her neck were answer enough, and Alice leaned forward to press a kiss to a fiery cheek. "Adorable."

It took them an extra half hour to get out of bed that morning, which resulted in the entire Cullen clan being late for first period.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

"Are you aware your girlfriend and her family are stalking you, Swan?" Lauren asked casually at lunch one afternoon. Her green eyes lifted from the tray in front of her, over Bella's shoulder, and to the group of supermodels that were sitting only a table away. Probably close enough to hear her, judging by the booming laughter coming from Emmett. She eyed them warily.

Bella herself nodded, seemingly absorbed in her History notes while she picked at her food. She didn't even look up when she spoke. "Yeah, I know. It's actually super handy, like, I'm pretty thirsty right now and-"

"You can have my juice box, Bella," Edward said as he leaned across the gap between their tables to place it next to her textbook. All before offering a smile to them and getting back to his table.

"-and now I have juice," Bella finished, highlighting her book. She glanced up, to the juice, and smiled brightly. "Thanks!"

Mike's eyes threatened to pop right out of his head, his mouth ajar. "Okay, but _why_? It's creepy."

"Eh." Again, Bella shrugged as she stared down at her book. With pursed lips, she highlighted an entire paragraph. "They're all kinda freaked out right now. I said something startling in my sleep last week."

The blondes exchanged looks, Lauren frowning deeply. "What did you say?"

"Something about dying?" Bella said, though it came out more like a question. She shook her head. "I don't remember, but now they're all super twitchy."

"Why? People say weird shit in their sleep all the time," Mike replied with his own confused frown.

Lauren gasped quietly, slapping the boy's shoulder and bouncing in her seat. She leaned forward against the table, tugging him close, and waited until Bella huffed and leaned in as well. "Did you say it when you were having one of your little psychic episodes?"

The conversation at the Cullen table cut off abruptly. Bella groaned lightly, letting her forehead drop against her book with a thud. "No? I don't know, I was asleep! I don't think so? And I'm not psychic, I wasn't even touching... no. I was just sleeping and probably having a nightmare. Everyone needs to chill out."

"You _are_ psychic, first of all," Lauren began. She roughly leaned back in her seat, levelling her friend a glare.

"Am not."

"Secondly, what _exactly_ did you say about dying?"

"I have no idea, I wasn't conscious. It was a freaking dream."

"And lastly." Mike and Bella watched her, Lauren shifting in her seat. She blinked at both of them and frowned. "I don't have a last one, actually, just the two."

Mike chuckled, his shoulders shaking and face splitting into a grin. Though worried, he knew not to press. Not between these two crazy broads; one would yell at him and the other would disappear for the next week if he tried. "Okay, so this is just another one of those weird things we're simply going to ignore?" He didn't have to look up to know that the Cullen table was watching him, watching Bella. He could _feel_ their gaze.

Bella herself didn't appear to care in the slightest as she scribbled on her notes. She shrugged again, pausing only briefly, enough to tap the end of her pen against her chin. "Yeah, that'd be great, thanks."

With that, the trio fell into the familiar and comfortable routine of simply being near each other for the rest of lunch.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

"This is dumb!" Bella all but growled, storming across the room. She had her arms wrapped tightly around her chest, fighting to keep the scowl off her face, but she knew she was failing. Alice, Carlisle, and Victoria watched from the other side of the room, with Jessica lingering by the entrance. The vampire had been on her way out to meet her mate when she heard the commotion. Bella whirled around on the others again, mainly Alice, who kept _pressing_. "I can't do it, okay? I can't just... _f_ _orce_ myself to see the future. I'm not you, Alice, it isn't even my gift or whatever. It's just me sometimes borrowing it, but I can't _do_ it. I don't know what I saw with Jasper that night, I wasn't even awake!"

The pixie stepped forward, reaching out for her friend. Her eyes were wide, her face earnest, her faith unwavering. It made Bella scowl even harder. "Yes, you can. You did it once before, it's not even trying to force a vision, it's just remembering one. You can do that. We just have to keep trying-"

"No, I'm done," Bella snapped. Jerky steps had her back closer to Alice. "I know everyone is getting antsy about these vampires, God knows I am, too, but this isn't the way. I can't remember, Alice, and I can't _See_ it again. We've been trying all week. I'm sorry, but I can't."

"Bella, we just have to keep trying. Please. I know how hard this is for you, but we have to do _something._ "

"I know!" Bella nodded, smiling abruptly. She glanced at the others and back to Alice. "Yes, I know, I agree. So I've been thinking and I... I have an idea." She stepped closer again, lowering her hands to her side, calming herself down. She had to be calm when she suggested it when she told them. She couldn't look nervous or Alice would never agree. "We know something happens at that hill, and we know there are vampires stalking me."

"Correct," Carlisle agreed when nobody said anything else. His brows furrowed, mind turning, as he tried to follow Bella's thought process. He had a sneaking suspicion of what she was going to say and was preparing for the worst reaction.

Shrugging her shoulders, Bella bit her lip and looked back down at Alice. "So... why not force their hand? Draw them out? We can set up a plan, I can go out to the hill, you guys can hide in the forest, and we can draw them out."

"Wait," Alice shook her head, face falling, "you mean you want to be bait? Your plan is to dangle a piece of meat in front of crazed dogs?"

Bella lifted her chin, tossing out a charming grin. "Well I happen to have experience, my brother is a crazed dog."

"This isn't funny, Bella," Alice snapped. Her golden eyes were darkening by the second, mind reeling, trying to figure out why Bella would make such a bad joke. "No, that's... It's not a funny joke."

"Okay, no, it's not a joke. The dog thing was, but I'm being serious. Right now all we can do is react, we have no control. We need to control the battlefield, that's how we win this, how we gain the upper hand."

Alice scoffed, hands flying down to her hips. "Absolutely not. Are you serious? Actually serious? No, Bella, this is a horrible idea. _Willingly_ baiting yourself for a group of vampires is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard."

"Borderline rude," Bella warned, holding up a hand with a raised brow. "Watch yourself. Secondly, this is actually a _great_ plan. It's a _plan_ , which is more than we had ten minutes ago. This makes sense, this is how we control what goes down."

"No, this is how we needlessly risk your life."

"It's a calculated risk-"

"Hah! No, it's a gamble, one that isn't worth taking, Bella. We're not doing it, end of discussion."

Blue eyes flashed behind shades, Bella's hands clenching into fists. She took a deep breath, rolling her shoulders, and let it out again. "I know you're scared, Alice. There is a very real risk to this, I'm aware of that, but I feel like it is our best bet."

"There's no point!" Alice cried. The vampire's eyes were endless pits of black, jaw clenched tight. "I had a vision of you _bleeding_ in the woods, there was so much blood, Bella, and then you turn around and have one yourself. You actually predicted _your own death_. Now you want to, what? Challenge Death? Spit in Its face, shake your ass. _Ha ha, come get me!"_

"Alice-"

She stomped forward, throwing her hands into the air with an impressive glare on her face. "All for what? We haven't even caught their _scent_ in two whole weeks, Bella! They could have decided it was too much effort, not worth _their_ risk, and left already."

"Then there won't be anything to worry about!" Bella shouted back. "Worst case scenario, I catch a cold. What's the big deal?"

" _The big deal?"_ Alice scoffed disbelievingly. "Oh, I don't know, just your life, I guess. You'll be _dead_ dead, Bella, not like us. You will _cease_ to be. Understand?"

"Yes-"

"I don't think you do because you're standing here without a care in the world. Where are your self-preservation instincts, where is your fear? How can you not be afraid of dying? So no, I don't think you understand."

A laugh bubbled up in Bella's chest, her scowl falling way to a smile. She ran a hand up into her hair, shaking her head. "I do, Alice. I'm young, I'm not stupid. But I also understand it is _my_ risk to take. I understand that every moment I sit here and do nothing is just giving them _more_ time to plan, to get ready. To decide to hurt my friends or my dad or someone else. I understand that I can throw a wrench into those plans, that I can force a confrontation, so we're on equal ground. I also understand why you have a problem with that, which is why you don't have to partake in it, but you can't stop me from trying."

"Oh, no?" Alice hissed. "Without me, you're just sitting out on that hill alone, _prey_ not bait."

A new hiss came from the entrance, Jessica glaring at her sister. "She won't be alone."

"This isn't!" The rest of her sentence broke down into a snarl in her chest, Alice turning away from the room and blurring to the french doors.

Bella sighed, walking over to the pixie and reaching for her shoulder.

"Don't." Alice held up her hand, posture stiff. "I can't... I'm so angry, Bella, I can't even look at you right now. This is _not_ a good idea. How can you not see that? I saw you _dying,_ my heart felt like it was being ripped out of my chest, and you want to go goad them on. Jump head first into danger. I can't... I just can't. I have to go hunt."

The doors were banging closed before Bella could even think of blinking, leaving the room in a tense silence. She turned back to the others, eyes wide, heart sinking into her gut. "Am I wrong?" she asked in a small voice.

"No," Victoria cooed gently. She was across the room in a second, golden eyes darkening to more of an amber, and wrapped her arm around Bella's shoulders. "It's a good plan, my little dove. A _dangerous_ plan, to be sure, but good. Logical, reasonable. Alice knows this, she just needs time to accept it. She is very fond of you, she doesn't want to lose you."

"None of us do," Carlisle said softly. Again, she blinked, and he was across the room in front of her. Ducking to look into her face, his hands on her shoulders. "You have come to mean a great deal to each of us, Bella, which is why I side with Alice in this. I can see the logic of your plan, I can see your reasons, and I understand why you feel you must do this. I disagree, but you have my support. Always."

This sheer amount of compassion should not be possible to house in one person alone.

Bella chewed her bottom lip, looking back through the glass doors to the woods. Part of her wished Alice was there, looking back, waiting to come back and pretend this entire afternoon never happened. She closed her eyes and shook her head. "I can't do nothing. I can't keep doing _nothing_ when I know they're out there, when I know at any moment they could decide to go through my dad to get to me. My friends. One of you."

"We can keep ourselves safe, Bella," Jessica said emphatically. She was leaning against the wall, her eyes burning fiercely. "Our only concern is you. We can protect ourselves, we can protect your father, your friends, you. This is your best option, but it isn't your only option. You don't _have_ to do this." Her eyes remained locked with Bella's even through the glass, sincerity ringing out into the room. "However, if you do, we've got your back. Count on us, without doubt or hesitance."

Knuckles cracking, Bella squeezed her fists tight. "I'll wait," she said, looking back up at them. "I'll wait for Christmas. I can give Alice time to accept this, give them time to make their move, give my dad at least one more Christmas, but after that... after that, I'm done waiting."

The pixie's words came back to Carlisle, bouncing around in his head. She'd had a point, one he had offhandedly noticed in the beginning. When Bella first started hanging around the Cullens. The girl was extremely casual about, well, all aspects of life. And death, apparently. Too casual. "Bella," Carlisle inquired gently, hands clasped behind his back. He was actually hesitant to ask, anxious of her answer. "Why are you not afraid of death?"

Bella shrugged her shoulders, fishing her phone out of her pocket while she collapsed back onto the couch. "Why fear death when life is so much scarier?"

Three sets of golden eyes exchanged looks.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

It was late by the time Alice got back to the house. The others let her be as she breezed through the halls and up the stairs, heading straight for her room. _My room_ , she thought to herself, stopped just outside the door. _Our room._ She took a deep breath, Bella's heavenly scent seeping out from the crack beneath the door, inside so often it refused to fade. _Our room. Our home. Our future. And she wants to risk throwing it all away._

Slipping inside, Alice let her eyes adjust to the dark in a single heartbeat before approaching the bed. It was tricky, even after all their sleepovers, trying to tell if Bella was asleep or just resting. That heartbeat, of which she and her family always relied on to read humans, animals, _life_ , was deceiving and inconsistent.

Unable to hold onto the anger that had her tearing through the forest, Alice sighed softly and slid into the bed next to her friend. She held her head in her hand, elbow propped up beside Bella's pillow, while her free hand ran down the girl's back. She couldn't fight off her smile when Bella hummed happily, inching closer to her. "I can't lose you," she whispered as soft as she dared, fingers playing with those long dark locks.

"You won't," Bella replied, just as quiet. She turned her head to the other side, glasses smushed into her face. Proof she _had_ been waiting up for the pixie. "You won't ever, Alice. I promise."

Golden sadness stared back down at her. "You're not supposed to make promises you can't keep, anymore."

"I can keep this one," she shot back, her voice stronger with passion. "You'll have me. Always." Bella sat up to lean against the headboard next to Alice, adjusting her glasses and rubbing her cheek where they had dug into her face. "I don't know what's going to happen – or, well, I guess I do but I can't remember what's going to happen. But what I _do_ know is I'll be fine because I'm not done with you, not even close."

Alice's eyes glittered with breathtaking happiness, full of hope and affection and something deeper, brighter, something that left the distinct _falling_ feeling in Bella's chest. "Will you ever be?" she repeated Bella's words from so many nights ago.

"Never," Bella promised with a wicked grin. Warm fingers gingerly touched Alice's cheeks, sliding around to hook behind her neck, and pulled. All about consent, Bella knew she could never truly steal a kiss from Alice; the pixie too fast, too strong. So this was a silent question, a hesitant wonder, giving Alice all the opportunity and time to decline.

Instead, she let herself be pulled in, eyes fluttering shut just before fire met ice, before hard met soft, before life met death, before her stilled heart _literally_ lurched in her chest in a single beat. Before Bella kissed Alice, sealing an unspoken promise she _knew_ with absolute certainty that she would never break.

It was soft and sweet, a press of lips against lips, tentative and curious. Alice's lips were firm but smooth, slightly cool but warming up by the second. Like running a chilled marble against your skin on a hot day, all kinds of delightfully refreshing. Bella's were pliable, softer than Alice had ever dreamed, warming her up from the inside out, like kissing a sunny day.

"Mmmwow," the words spilled out of Bella the second they pulled apart, her head fuzzy until she dragged in a breath of air. She blinked open luminescent pink eyes that Alice could not see, the smile on her face so big it hurt her cheeks.

Onyx eyes stared back at her eagerly, Alice's pale tongue darting out to run along her bottom lip. The hunger reflecting back in black at Bella was equally thrilling and startling, and she felt her heart slam against her ribcage. Alice blinked, glancing down and up, teeth catching the corner of her mouth in a smirk. "You know, we never did get around to having that conversation about _this._ "

"Do we need to?" Bella asked, her breath still stuck in her chest.

Alice blinked slowly, and when her eyes opened again, there was a thin ring of gold around the edges. "Probably," she sighed dreamily, gaze tracing Bella's face, often landing back on her lips. Pale fingers reached out to skim along a warm cheek. "Not tonight, however. You look exhausted, and as they say; actions speak louder-"

" _No,"_ Bella said firmly, hand covering Alice's mouth that she could _feel_ smiling against her skin. "Finish that sentence and you'll never get a repeat performance."

A pout overtook the pixie's face, though her eyes still flashed with a playful twinkle. Her dramatic sigh heaved her shoulders. "Mean."

The word was muffled and broke Bella's stoic mask, her own smile bright and brilliant. "Deal with it," she said before lowering her hand and pressing a quick peck to those lips one more time. Twice more, _for good luck,_ if she was asked. _Just because_ , she'd admit to herself.

Alice beamed back at her, watching as the human got comfy and tucked herself into the bed. She took the shades handed to her, placing them on the bedside table, and burrowed into the covers. "Happily and enthusiastically."

"Who's the dork now?"

A light gasp fell from her lips, her brows furrowing. Alice hummed, snaking her arms around a warm waist, and pressed herself against the length of Bella's side. "Still you, as a matter of fact. You have _robots_ on your boyshorts, Bella. Don't think I didn't notice that."

"Robots are cool."

"See? Nerd."

An indignant huff shook the two of them. "Your _mom's_ a nerd."

"I'm telling Esme."

"Wait! No, I – I didn't mean it. Alice! Is your door open?"

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 **WaxnWane, that makes two of us! And, man, you don't even know! There's some freaky shit that goes down in a later chapter and I fuckin' SPOOKED _myself._ So. Yeah. **

**FireInLife, you start a fire in _my_ life, and that's awesome you read my blog! Cheers, mate! **

**Merlinsc, I gave up on schedules, to be honest. They elude me. Now, it's just like... I post a chapter and then someone's review tickles me SO PINK that I have to post another chapter. I can't restrain myself.**

 **Sammeh, you're the reason I posted this one. I liked your review, dude.**

 **Anti90s, I love to shaketh!**

 **The Unknown Twinkie, Lord Mandoogle, you guys have _the best_ names I've ever read. What the fuck. I'm jelly. **

**peace**

 **Paige**


	16. Chapter 16

**CULLEN FAMILY** : Esme and Carlisle. Rosalie and Emmett. Jasper and Victoria. Edward. Alice. Wensley and Jessica.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Twilight.

 **Rated:** T.

 **Author:** xPaige Turnerx

 **Summary:** COMPLETED AND WAITING TO POST. "Trust me, dating a vampire and having a wolf for a brother are the LEAST complicated aspects of my life. Every now and then my nose reenacts the elevator scene from The Shining, and I randomly wake up in the woods. Normal was shot to Hell a long time ago."

" _At the center of your being_

 _you have the answer;_

 _you know who you are_

 _you know what you want."_

 _-Lao Tzu_

The next morning, Bella woke with a grin on her face. The sun was spilling in through the heavy red curtains Alice had pulled back, bathing Bella in warmth. She stretched her limbs until they burned delightfully, blinking against the bright light. Oddly, Alice was nowhere to be seen. The temptation to flip over, hug her pillow close, and go back to sleep was grand but eventually, she decided she'd rather actually see the pixie.

Like most mornings, there was an outfit already selected and laid out on the desk for her. However, this particular morning, something was different. Bella stared down at the pile and what lay on top, hands on her hips, eyebrows crooking up. "Um, who's old now, Geezer?" Bella scoffed to herself.

Fifteen minutes later she was descending the spiral staircase, following a heavenly scent towards the kitchen. Inside she could hear Esme bustling about, Alice speaking with Jasper, and someone in the living room. Scared of who she might find, Bella avoided the living room, quickening her pace as she passed, and entered the kitchen.

"Good morning, dear!" Esme sang brightly. She seemed extra happy this morning, the smile on her face never fading even a bit, a hop in her step as she flitted around the kitchen. Bella's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Come, have a seat, I'm almost done here."

"...Alright." Bella slunk over to the table, hands on the back of Alice's chair. Her nerves wouldn't let her legs actually buckle to sit down yet. "What's with Mrs Pep over there?"

Esme's humming got louder.

Jasper leaned back in his seat, scarred hands resting on the table in front of him. He offered Bella a smile that was less and less pained with each of their interactions. "I fear I am partially to blame. Alice's enthusiasm is very infectious and I can hardly contain it."

"Okay..." Bella finally glanced down to Alice who was pointedly looking away from her, playing with her nails. The longer she stared, the more adamant Alice became with ignoring her, until Bella gasped lightly. "You told them!"

Jumping in her seat, like she'd been given a little jolt of electricity, Alice quickly looked up at Bella. She mostly looked sheepish and shocked, but the corners of her mouth would not stop curving up. "You can't just kiss me and expect me not to talk about it!"

"Yes, I fucking can!" Bella almost shrieked, her eyes wide and hands in the air. "You ever heard of _gentlemen don't kiss and tell?"_

Alice lifted her chin and glanced away again, while Jasper tried to smother his grin. "I'm not a gentleman."

"No, you are a wicked, wicked _scoundrel."_

"Scoundrels _steal_ kisses, Bella, and you kissed me. What does that make you?"

Another indignant noise tore out of Bella, her hands on her hips. "I did not _steal_ a-"

In a flash, Alice's knees were on the chair, her hands on the back as she leaned up to capture Bella's lips with her own. The surprised and _scandalized_ noise Bella made had Jasper actually barking out a laugh and even Esme giggling. And yet, Alice noticed with glee, Bella still eagerly kissed her back. Warm fingers even brushed against her jaw, feather light.

" _Scoundrel!"_ Bella gasped breathlessly when Alice finally sat back down. She shook her head, mildly delirious with affection, happiness, and the consistent craving of Alice in general. "Momma C, control your daughter."

"Which one?" Esme laughed.

Bella turned with idle confusion on her face. Her mind was still trying to catch up. "What?"

"Breakfast is ready," the motherly woman said instead, bringing over a plate and setting it next to Alice's spot. With a warm smile, she pressed an affectionate kiss to the side of Bella's head and squeezed her shoulder, retreating back to the oven.

"I've never been kissed so much in my life."

"Get used to it," Alice hummed. She flipped a game card down onto the table and Bella finally realized that she and Jasper were actively playing a game of cards. "What on earth are you wearing, by the way?"

"These?" Bella asked, hooking her thumbs around the suspenders that she had to admit were fun to play with. "You should know, you set them out for me."

Alice's lip curled in distaste during the brief glance she offered Bella's clothes. "No, I didn't."

"We both know you're too neurotic and fashiony to let me pick my own outfits."

"Fashiony isn't a word, and I was happy to let suspenders die in the thirties like they should have." Her lips tugged up fondly again though. "You look even dorkier now."

"A dork you kissed the crap out of!"

Jasper laughed openly again, playing his own card. "She has a point."

"I set them out for you," Esme said finally. She was leaning back against the counter, hand-drying a mug, with the most... serene and peaceful look on her face Bella had ever seen. "I happen to fancy suspenders a great deal, though Carlisle refuses to wear them. He thinks they make him look old. I think you look very cute, Bella."

Cheeks were stained crimson and Jasper's body tensed, his posture stiff. He angled his face to the open patio door behind him, breathing in the fresh air. "Thanks, Momma C," Bella said pointedly. She looked back down at the suspenders and smiled slightly. "They're not so bad, actually. I kind of like them."

"A fashion staple, Esme?" Alice groaned into her hands, her elbows propped up on the table to hold her face. "You gave her a fashion staple? Now I have to work with _suspenders_. Ugh." She sighed, her grumpy face too endearing for its own good, narrowed eyes glancing back to the offending straps. She grabbed one and yanked, Bella stumbling forward and bending down. Alice smiled brightly, waiting for Bella to roll her eyes and give her another kiss. "I can get on board, actually. They're kind of handy."

Esme squealed lightly in the back of her throat, bouncing in place. "I'm so happy!"

"That makes one of us." Rosalie's comment was nearly monotone, sounding bored and a hair away from being annoyed as she passed by the kitchen.

The reply was instant and Bella didn't even have time to think twice about it or try and stop herself. "I love you too, Rosalie!"

The vampire froze and Alice discreetly leaned into Bella, offering comfort or protection, Bella did not know. However, when ink black eyes landed on her in a glare so fierce it could melt the _sun_ , Bella needed both. Rosalie Hale knew how to _glower_.

"Mother of God," Bella breathed, stumbling back into the table. "My heart just fell out of my chest. Someone pick it up. Pick it up!"

Rosalie stepped into the kitchen and Jasper's snickers died out. While Bella was mostly kind of convinced Rosalie wouldn't _actually_ hurt her, and even more certain Alice wouldn't _let_ her, there was still hesitation. A dramatic pause, a still to the room nobody else could command quite like Rosalie. Bella wondered if the rest of the Cullens could appreciate that as much as she did.

There was something about Rosalie that was compelling to Bella, something she didn't, or maybe couldn't, understand. All she knew was that, next to Alice's of course, those golden eyes were by far her favourite pair. "Do I look amused to you?" Rose asked in a deadly quiet voice, onyx swirling into honey-gold. _Passion_ , Bella decided. Rosalie Hale held more passion in a _twitch of her lips_ than most people would ever scrounge up their entire lives, and Bella wanted to see more.

Alas, she was kind of an asshole and the only way she knew how to evoke such passion was by _poking the bear._ "You look _enchanting_. And terrifying. And charmed, just a little bit." Bella held her thumb and index finger an inch apart to illustrate. "Am I right? It's okay, I'm deceptively charming."

"She is," Alice agreed thoughtfully, while she organized her hand of cards. "I never saw it coming, she's so awkward and scowly."

"Scowly isn't a word."

Alice scoffed. "But fashiony is?"

With a roll of her eyes, Rosalie was gone. Jasper let out a long sigh, dark eyes studying his own cards, his mouth quirked up in a smile. "I'm happy too, Esme."

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

"Technically not in the woods, technically not in the woods, technically not in the woods," Bella chanted under her breath, over and over, in-between her panting. She jogged down the dark road, trees on one side, houses on the other. Her boots dug through the snow, hitting the wet pavement a few inches below, the only thing keeping her on her feet. "Holy fuck, how fucking far do you live, Lauren?"

The house came up rather quickly after that, Bella thanking whoever was listening that she could stop running. She really hated running. The front porch light came on, sensing motion, and she quickly threw herself sideways with a curse. The snow was more wet than cold as she rolled through it, up on her feet and darting around the corner of the house. She looked up at the window on the second floor, her shoulders sinking. "How does Alice do this every night?"

Bella scooped up a handful of snow, packing it loosely, and threw it at the window. It went over the roof. The second hit beside the window. The third fell apart before connecting with the house. The fourth slipped out of her numb, wet hands, and somehow ended up _behind_ her. The fifth was fueled by ever growing rage and may have actually cracked the window. Bella winced.

She waited a few moments before it slid open, Lauren leaning out of the house and into the chilly night. "What the hell, Bella? Are you trying to shatter my window?"

"Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down that weave, gurl."

"That was horrifying."

"You made me _run_ ," Bella deadpanned. "I'm coooold, let me up!" Lauren disappeared for a few seconds before a rope was thrown out the window, the end dangling a foot above the ground. Bella grabbed one of the large knots in it and looked back up, her mouth agape. "Are you... are you shitting me?"

Lauren rolled her eyes, leaning back out the window. "Hurry up before someone sees you and calls your dad."

"They _better_ call my dad so he can come see this bullshit you're trying to pull." She tugged on the rope. "Do you expect me to _climb_ this?"

"Bella..."

Grumbling, Bella secured her grip on a higher knot. "The things I do for pretty girls... oh god, this is it, this is how I die... worse than P.E... oh, I _can_ do it, look at me... do you have to live beside the woods?"

"This is Forks, so yes," Lauren replied. She casually leaned against the window frame, watching Bella struggle to climb up the rope, wincing every time her friend bumped against the house. Thankfully her dad was predictably passed out in the den in the basement with a glass of scotch in his hand, and her stepmom was zonked out on sleeping pills since the early afternoon. "Your death dream making you a little antsy, hm?"

A trembling hand shot up in front of her face and flopped onto the windowsill, Bella pulling herself up enough to rest her cheek against the wood. "No, no, don't lift a finger, I've got this," she said sarcastically. Lauren smirked, disappearing farther into her bedroom. "Takes a little more than a nightmare to shake me. I'm just embarrassed. Three point eight billion years worth of evolution and the birthplace of humanity just watched me struggle to haul my ass up this rope."

"Humanity was born in the woods?" Lauren asked from her bed across the room.

With a grunt and a wiggle, Bella hoisted herself through the window... and came crashing down onto the floor inside, upside down with her legs stuck in a computer chair. "Your room is scarily similar to mine. Are you Single White Female-ing me?"

"I don't know what you're talking about half the time you open your mouth, Bella."

"Me neither."

The blonde tilted her head, staring hard at her friend. "Consider shutting the fuck up, then."

"Tell me I did not just Mission Impossible my way up here to be verbally decimated at three o'clock in the morning. You could have waited for the sun to come up like a sane person."

"Sorry," Lauren looked down at her lap, a sigh escaping her, "sorry. I'm having a bad day."

Bella shrugged, finally yanking her foot free from the chair and standing up. She looked around the room, hands on her hips. "Calling it pretty early, don't you think? And they call me a pessimist."

"It's the anniversary of my mom's... passing."

The silence that fell between them was uncomfortable and awkward, stretching on and on into the night. Bella slowly shuffled over to the bed, easing down beside her friend. She reached out for Lauren's shoulder but paused midway, curling her fingers into her palm and letting her hand fall back down to her lap. "That... um, sucks."

Her friend snorted but said nothing, still staring down at her lap. It was the most sullen, reserved, and quiet she'd ever seen the blonde. It was unnerving, to say the least.

"Are you mad at her?"

 _That_ got a reaction. Lauren's brows furrowed, her face twisting up in confusion, and she turned her head enough to look at Bella. "What kind of question is that? Who asks that?"

"For leaving you. For dying. Are you mad at her for it?" Bella asked again.

Lauren shook her head. "You can't get mad at people for dying."

"I think you can. I think some would."

What a weird fucking kid. Lauren never knew what to make of Bella, she was always so _weird._ "Did someone in your life die?"

"Almost."

"Were you mad?"

Seeming to consider this, Bella looked back towards the window across the room. Her eyes traced the rope that was still hanging over the sill, well worn, well used. Either Lauren was often sneaking out or someone was often sneaking in. "Nah, I was sad. And tired. And just... sad. Renee was _furious_ though, my god, the woman lost her mind."

"Who did you almost lose?" Lauren asked quietly. She'd noticed, over the months, that Bella was a deceptively cagey person. Honest, blunt, and just super casual, but she never actually delved too deep when it came to conversations. Somehow she always managed to shift the flow and lead the exchange in a new direction.

She did it again. "Doesn't matter, they're still alive and kickin' it." Something about that sounded familiar, a memory trying to resurface for Lauren, but Bella went on. "So you going to school tomorrow? Er, today?"

"Hell no. I can barely stand that place on a good day. I don't plan on leaving this room for anything other than food."

Bella wiggled her eyebrows. "I know a place where they take special delivery requests. You wouldn't even have to leave your room."

"We'll circle back to that," Lauren nodded, "but what's this about a family dinner you have later tonight? Since when do you and Charlie have organized interactions?"

A groan mixed with a sigh tumbled out of Bella gracelessly, her hand running through her hair. "Since never. This is... bleh, special. Alice is really excited, she wants the evening to go perfectly, and I told her Charlie likes food. So it's a dinner thing."

"Where you finally tell him you're dating Tiny Cullen?"

"As I'm finally dating Tiny Cullen, yes."

Lauren rolled her eyes and Bella was both surprised and delighted to find someone who did it as often as she did. "Only officially. Technically you've been dating for months."

"No."

"Yes."

"A compelling argument," Bella laughed with a shake of her head. "Why have I never thought of that. _Yes._ Must be true."

The blonde stuck her tongue out. "You sarcastic ass."

"You love me anyway."

"Alice would kick my ass, I can totally see her as the jealous type."

A frown marred Bella's face, her shoulders slumping. "I... nah, I don't think so." And yet... she could perfectly see Alice taking issue with someone putting the moves on Bella. "Maybe... huh. Ah, whatever. Worries for another day. So is there any way we can make it worth Charlie grounding my ass until I'm seventy-two for skipping out in the middle of the night again?"

"I have popcorn and M&Ms, and a pathetically small selection of movies to watch until you inevitably fall asleep on me. Literally. Angle away this time when you start drifting."

Bella threw herself backwards onto the bed, bouncing Lauren, as she kicked off her shoes. "I like to cuddle!"

"She says when just last week I witnessed you grab Eric's face and shove him into the lockers when he tried to hug you," Lauren said with a laugh as she got up to set everything up.

"He grows boobs and we'll talk about physical contact, until then he can kiss the lockers each time he tries to touch me."

The blonde laughed as she scanned through a couple DVDs, tossing one back onto the bed. "You're so gay."

"Jealous?"

"Hah, no." Lauren went into her closet and a moment later, with a grunt, hauled out a small microwave to plug in on her desk. "Girls are way too much work and I _have_ to be the bitchiest one in the relationship. Hand me that bag of popcorn from my top drawer."

Aiming for her outstretched hand, Bella gave it a little toss and grimaced when she took out the lamp three feet to the left of Lauren. "Whoops. Well, you're the bitchiest one in _this_ relationship."

"Thanks," she blew Bella a sarcastic kiss and hopped onto the bed, "now let's watch this movie and forget today even exists."

Bella shrugged out of her coat and relaxed back against the headboard, next to her friend. "Can do."

The two of them made it halfway through the movie before Bella's head landed on Lauren's shoulder, and the blonde sighed quietly. After a moment of frowning, she closed her eyes and rested her head against the top of Bella's, letting the comfort of her friend, and the nostalgic feels of Pebble and the Penguin lull her into a peaceful night's rest.

 **.**

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 **.**

 **So this one's on the shorter side because I don't give a fuck. I also didn't want to break up any of the Dinner Date, but mostly it's the not giving a fuck. If anybody has an issue with it they can _suck it_ because my story my length bish, but also originally this story was gonna be super small. When I wrote it all out, helping me through my writer's block, it was super... basic. Not that in depth, basically just splices and chunks of time tossed together, with a LITTLE bit of plot. It was twelve? Maybe thirteen chapters. And then done. **

**And then y'all had to go and be lovely and write such lovely things and make _me_ feel lovely, so I had to add and add and ADD AND ADD and now it's like twenty five chapters. BUT I'M STILL ADDING SO DON'T QUOTE ME MAYBE IT'S FUCKING MORE. Nah, it's not more. I might even take some shit out that would be better left for the sequel. **

**ANYWAY. Yeah, lookit these fuckin' cuties bein' cute and shit. All of you who said you say willy nilly all the time that's _fine, I'm not judging you_ , Alice is just laughing at you, is all. There are worse fates, okay? She thinks you're fuckin' cute. **

**Procrastination-Addict, I'm lookin' at you. o.o**

 **peace**

 **Paige**


	17. Chapter 17

**CULLEN FAMILY** : Esme and Carlisle. Rosalie and Emmett. Jasper and Victoria. Edward. Alice. Wensley and Jessica.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Twilight.

 **Rated:** T.

 **Author:** xPaige Turnerx

 **Summary:** COMPLETED AND WAITING TO POST. "Trust me, dating a vampire and having a wolf for a brother are the LEAST complicated aspects of my life. Every now and then my nose reenacts the elevator scene from The Shining, and I randomly wake up in the woods. Normal was shot to Hell a long time ago."

" _At the center of your being_

 _you have the answer;_

 _you know who you are_

 _you know what you want."_

 _-Lao Tzu_

Two sets of brown eyes stared at each other, one frantic, the other disbelieving. Chewing on her lip, Bella drummed her fingers against the table, head tilting to the side. "So you're saying I'm _not_ grounded for sneaking out in the middle of the night again?"

"What? Well." Charlie frowned, tugging at his collar. His eyes shifted to the clock on the wall, the oven, and back to his daughter who was looking more and more amused as time went on. He huffed. "I might just ground you for laughing at your old man. Now help me with my tie."

A mix between a scoff and chuckle escaped Bella's lips, but she made her way around the table all the same. Playfully, she batted his hands away and started adjusting his tie. "I don't see why you need a tie in the first place. It's just dinner."

"To meet your girlfriend for the first time, in each sense of the term. She is your first girlfriend, right?"

Bella rolled her eyes. "A shocker, I know. Who can resist these weird eyes and biting sarcasm?" She yanked the tie a little rougher than she meant to, Charlie almost headbutting her in the face. "Sorry. So is it because of this dinner or because it was about Lauren's mom, that you're not grounding me?"

"Are you _pushing_ to be grounded? If my dad let me off the hook, I would not keep reminding him of it," Charlie murmured.

"There. Beautiful." Bella stepped back to admire her work, oddly charmed by Charlie's yellow tie. "I mean, still _wildly_ formal, but whatever floats your boat."

His moustache twitched, hand reaching out to grab a strap of her suspenders and snap it back on her. "Says the girl who just walked out of the twenties."

"The Def Leopard tee underneath negates any formal vibes, as does the ink stains on my jeans. I'm safe, you're a nerd. Besides," she said breezily, checking the oven once again. "I have a perfectly valid reason for mine. I'm trying to endear myself to Alice's mom."

"Which is why you wore them down to the Reservation last weekend?"

Cheeks burned and brown melted into bronze, Bella's gaze snapping away to the corner of the room. "Nobody asked you, Patrice!"

"Hoo, hoo!" Charlie chortled with a grin. "So you _do_ like – shoot! Damn." He struggled to juggle the salt and pepper shakers he knocked down from the shelf above the stove, watching the little ceramic frogs fall into the pot of sauce. "I'm gonna go ahead and blame you for that."

"I blame Renee."

"Why...?"

Bella shrugged. "Convenience, mostly. She's not here." The familiar rumble of an expensive engine reached Bella's ears before Charlie's, and she looked out the kitchen window over the sink. Lo and behold, Carlisle's sleek black Mercedes was sitting behind the giant red monster of a truck in the driveway. "But Alice _is_ here, so... you deal with the frogs and I'm gonna go greet 'em."

"Wait, how do I-"

She was already rounding the corner towards the front door. "You're forty-one years old, dad, I'm sure you'll figure it out!" Guilt flared and she hesitated with her hand on the doorknob. "But if you don't, call for backup. I got you, partner."

"Yeah, yeah. Keep 'em busy for a minute."

With a final breath, Bella gave her head one sudden nod to knock her glasses down onto the bridge of her nose. A thought occurred to her in the time it took her to open the door. "Hey, what are you gonna do-mmmf!"

Marble smooth lips captured her own before she could finish her question, the oddly fruity taste of Alice invading most of her senses until she pulled away again.

"Thanks, hi." Bella grinned stupidly down at the pixie who beamed back at her, their hands having joined at some point. "What are you gonna do about eating?"

The tiny vampire shrugged her deceptively delicate looking shoulders and Bella's attention was brought down to the pretty summer dress she was wearing. In the middle of winter. Bella knew that no force on the face of the earth could deter Alice's fashion, but still. Charlie wasn't dumb, and there was snow on the ground. "I just have to keep it down in front of Charlie. I'm small, so I wouldn't eat much anyway."

"Are you sure?" Bella asked while simultaneously reaching into the hallway closet to grab her wool coat. She gave Alice's bare shoulders a pointed look before wrapping her coat around them.

Alice only smiled brighter, sliding her arms through the sleeves and hugging it close, and Bella had the smallest thought that maybe the little minx's goal was to steal her coat. She'd noticed earlier in the week that Alice had commandeered her comfy blue Addidas hoodie. "I am a terrific actor, Bella."

"Who conveniently forgot half her wardrobe at home?"

Seemingly wanting to make his presence known now, Carlisle politely cleared his throat. Bella looked up at him with a warm smile and awkwardly accepted his hug. "While Mr Swan and I have a small chat, I will bring up Alice's condition in which she cannot exceed a specific caloric intake in one day. As one father to another, so that my daughter will not come off as impolite when she picks at her food."

"You're all brilliant, you know that?" Bella said.

"I'm quite aware, yes."

She turned back to the mischievous pixie and yanked her into her side, her affection triggering the need to squeeze Alice as tight as she could. "You cheeky little vampire."

"We also brought wine, though I suppose that's more for your father, as you're both technically minors," Carlisle said. He could not shake the fond look on his face, however, as he held out the bottle to Alice.

Bella scanned the label and had to be supported by Alice has her legs spasmed. She gasped, reaching out for Alice's shoulder and Carlisle's hand. " _Holy fuc-riggin' Hell, Carlisle!"_ she rasped out.

"Bella?" Alice's voice was confused and concerned.

But Bella just continued to gape up at Carlisle who caught on and was trying to hide his smirk. He would have to remember this for a later conversation with the girl. "That is a _1991 Pauillac Chateau Latour."(1)_

He only nodded, happily humming under his breath. Alice, having realized Bella _wasn't_ having an episode like she had feared, looked between the two skeptically. She stared up at Bella, narrowing her eyes. "I'm calling it."

Scoffing, Bella rounded back on the pixie again. She stared down into Alice's face, a single brow raising up over the top of her glasses while she stood her ground. Alice shook her head slightly and Bella grinned, while Carlisle looked on with a silent chuckle. "Not a bluff, I win. Renee went through a 'classy wine connoisseur' phase when I was sixteen. She dragged me to many a vineyard, and this _freaking_ bottle is worth, god, it must be close to forty thousand dollars."

"Forty-seven and some change, actually," Carlisle informed them. "I'm a collector."

Bella held her face in her hands, mind reeling. "And you brought it to a lame ass 'meet my dad' dinner. Are you _trying_ to give me a hernia, doc?"

"On the contrary," Carlisle disagreed with a light frown. "I only look to better your health, Bella. You know this. Also, I do not consider this a _lame ass_ dinner-"

Eyebrows shooting up, Bella looked to Alice and stage-whispered, "He swore!"

"-and I will never get to truly enjoy these the way they were meant to be enjoyed. I am happy to share them with you, especially now that I know just how well you can appreciate it." Carlisle's smile was wide and happy when Charlie finally came up to the door. "Chief Swan, good evening!"

Charlie huffed, a happy quirk to his lips, and started ushering everyone into the front hall. "Bud, what are you doing standing in the doorway? Let them in, it's freezing outside!"

"Oh shit, yeah, sorry." Bella shuffled backwards, Alice's hand still in her own, to make room for everyone. She caught her father's sharp look and winced. "Shoot, I mean. Sorry."

The man just shook his head with a playfully exasperated look, turning back to their company. "Good to see ya again, doc. And you must be little Alice. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"The pleasure is mine." Alice bypassed the hand that was held out for her to shake, wrapping her arms around Charlie's chest, and pressed a chaste kiss to his scruffy cheek. "Ah, so that's where she gets it," she said and pointed up to his pink cheeks with a giggle.

Both Swans glanced down at their shoes while they awkwardly scratched the back of their necks, Alice's eyes widening in excitement and endearment while Carlisle smothered his chuckle. Bella coughed and shrugged her shoulders. "Yeah, well. Who can resist that Cullen charm? Here, let me take _my_ coat for you."

"If you must," Alice sniffed, her chin turned up. "Let's also go put this, apparently, extraordinary bottle of wine in the fridge, Miss I-Know-Oddly-Random-Things."

With another roll of her eyes, Bella scooped Alice's hand back up and started leading her to the kitchen while their fathers had a chat. "I've done more living in the past four years than some people have done their entire lives, so get used to weird, obscure knowledge."

"I think it's intriguing that your mother went through such a variety of different phases," Alice replied. She placed the bottle in the fridge, taking a peek at the rest of its content with muted interest. "She seems... like an interesting person."

Bella nodded. Dinner would be done fairly soon, so she turned off the oven and gave the pasta one last stir. "She is that, but it was more for my benefit than her own interest. That's not to say she didn't throw herself totally and completely into each and everything we did because Renee Dwyer does _nothing_ half-assed."

"So these were your phases then?"

" _God_ no," Bella shook her head vigorously. She couldn't stop the laugh that bubbled out, her mind drifting back to her days with Renee. The woman's wildly dramatic panic attack atop the Empire State building midway through their reenactment of _Sleepless In Seattle._ How they weren't even the only ones there to do just that and cackling about it all the way back down in the elevator. "I could hardly stand most of them, I just went along because it made her happy, and we did it together."

Alice watched on with interest as the girl in front of her was submerged in memories, how thoughtful and open her face became. Alice knew not to push about personal things when it came to Bella, that one wrong question would have the girl shutting down for the rest of the night, but her curiosity got the better of her. It always got the better of her. "Why was it for your benefit then?"

"She was trying to show me how much life had to offer," Bella replied without much thought. She continued to stir the pasta as she leaned against the oven, feeling the warmth on her hip. If she closed her eyes, she could hear Renee singing up in the attic, painting away the afternoon.

Before Alice could form her next question, decide on the best way to put it, Charlie appeared in the kitchen. "Your pop just left, kiddo, but he wished you luck."

Alice laughed as Charlie chuckled, and Bella blinked a few times. Brought back to the present, she shook her head and offered those two a lopsided grin. "Dinner's ready, too, and I only take partial credit for the _unbelievably_ great timing of it all."

"Great. Here, Alice, you and I can set the table."

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

Dinner was... interesting, for lack of a better term. Alice spent most of it talking to Charlie, telling animated stories, and asking many engaging questions. It distracted him well enough from noticing that she was mostly just pushing the food around her plate, with Bella taking large scoops from it when he wasn't looking. Bella herself spent most of the dinner stress eating, her cheeks constantly stuffed with her dinner and Alice's, eyes shifting back and forth between the two like she was enraptured by an epic ping-pong tournament. At one point, they'd been caught, Bella freezing with her fork mid-twirl on Alice's plate, the end of a noodle dangling down her chin, and could only offer a (rather awkwardly formed) full-cheeked grin and sheepish, " _Hm, s'good!"_

After that, Alice had put in more of an effort to eat her own food, and Bella refused to look away from her plate as they ate in an uncomfortable silence. Well. Uncomfortable for her.

Eventually, Charlie looked up from his own plate. He cleared his throat, sipping at the wine, and shifted in his seat. Bella braced for the worst. "So, Alice."

"Cheif Swan?"

He smiled a little bashfully at her brilliant grin aimed towards him and glanced away again. He cleared his throat more forcefully this time. "Seeing as you're dating my daughter, there are certain things we gotta get out of the way. Normally I'd be cleaning my shotgun when I asked this, but I figured a nice gal like you deserved a pleasant dinner instead. What, exactly, are your intentions with my daughter?"

"Dad..." Bella groaned, finally looking up from her plate. She bumped her shoulder against Alice's. "You don't have to answer that."

The pixie considered this. Her brows furrowed, eyes deeply thoughtful, as she gazed back at Charlie. It was the most serious she'd looked all night, and had both Swans leaning in closer. Seemingly coming to an answer, Alice tilted her head as she regarded Charlie. "All of the good, none of the bad, and a number of the tawdry ones."

Bella's head _**thunk'd**_ down onto the table beside her plate. "Kill me now."

"I – heheh," Charlie giggled, actually, literally, really _giggled_ , "what?"

Finally, Alice let a smile slip across her face, blinking big innocent honey-gold eyes at him. "It's quite simple, Chief Swan. I plan to adore your daughter for the rest of my life, until she sends me away."

"Highly unlikely," Bella muttered as she lifted her head again.

Alice continued seamlessly. "In which case, I shall adore her from afar."

"You'd make the cutest stalker."

Her face lit up, like she'd had a sudden thought, and turned to Bella with a nod. "I do look good in black."

Charlie's hear tfelt full of warmth and he happily slurped down more pasta.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

Nearing towards the end of dinner, with Charlie's plate polished clean and Bella's well on her way, Alice's half full still, Bella noticed Alice freeze. Immediately her thoughts went to _Vision Mode_ and she was quickly trying to recap their cover of Alice's Infamous Catatonic Episodes that most of Forks gossiped about. But before she could mention it, Alice's hand shot out lightning quick and grabbed Bella's thigh.

 _A little aggressive but that's nice she's – oh, nope, not puttin' the moves on me. That is_ very _real panic in her eyes. Shit._ Alice was giving her an alarmed look, a meaningful alarmed look that was totally going over Bella's head. She could only helplessly shrug her shoulders, while sneaking peeks to see if Charlie had noticed.

Alice gave a pointed look to her plate, her free hand resting on her stomach, and finally, it clicked for Bella. Alice couldn't keep the human food down.

Instinctively, Bella jolted up to her feet and grabbed Alice's hand. Charlie jumped slightly in his chair and looked up in alarm, too. "What's up, kiddo?"

"Alice has to go to the bathroom," Bella announced with a questioning look towards the pixie and a _very not_ subtle nod that Alice had to fight to not roll her eyes at.

Charlie glanced between the two of them curiously. "And you're taking her why...?"

"To make sure she's okay," Bella replied like it was obvious. You always go make sure someone's okay when they're puking.

 _He's not supposed to know she's puking, Captain of the Dropped Babies Squad. He'll start asking questions._

Bella very faintly cringed at herself and the holes she could _feel_ Alice burning into the side of her face with her eyes. Charlie's brows furrowed. "Why wouldn't she be okay?"

" _He's a cop, Bella,"_ Alice whispered as she got to her feet.

Shit. Um. Shit. "Oh. Well. I mean," Bella gave an airy laugh and gestured with her hand towards the stairs, "Hermoine Granger went alone and look what happened there."

"Is that the missing girl from Seattle a couple years back?" Charlie asked with concern.

Bella's hip jutted out as she levelled her father a disbelieving look. "The only thing missing here is my respect for you. This is _basic_ Harry Potter knowledge, dad."

"Bella!" Alice half laughed, half whined. The food was coming back up much quicker than she had anticipated.

"It's a cover. We need to go makeout real quick," Bella grabbed Alice's hand again and started pulling her towards the stairs, "like one of your sports half-times, only kiss fest form."

"What?!" he shouted after them, mortified.

Alice could only shake her head. "Oh my _god_."

They were at the bottom of the stairs, Bella shoving Alice up them in front of her, hands on her back. "We're teenagers, that's what we do. Be right back!"

By the time they got to the second floor, Alice whirled around on Bella. She tried for a chastising look, or even disappointed, really anything other than thoroughly amused. Alas, she was, and could not fight the smirk. "That was _the_ worst nonchalant getaway I've ever witnessed."

"Yeah, I dropped the ball a little bit there," Bella agreed with a nod, hands on her hips.

Alice scoffed. "A little bit? You – woah, oh."

"Alright, Pukey, you go rid your stomach of the evil human food." Bella gripped Alice's shoulders and turned her towards the bathroom down the hallway. "I need to go text Rosalie. Tell her that her smile is my reason for getting up in the morning."

In the doorway of the bathroom, Alice turned back to Bella again. "Do you have any idea the torment I will suffer when my sister kills my mate?" She sighed deeply, though the playful twinkle remained in her eye. "How do you even have her number?"

"I have my ways."

"She's changed it. Twice."

Bella shrugged her shoulders, tapping away on her phone. "Emmett happens to find me particularly amusing."

"Oh, so she's going to kill my mate _and_ my brother."

A few moments went by while Bella stared down at her phone, listening to the sink going in the bathroom. She never got a response from Rosalie, but there was a certain chill to the lack of response she knew the blonde was responsible for. It wasn't that she didn't care to respond, it was that Rosalie was _purposefully_ refusing to respond, it was intentional. It _was_ a response.

The door opened moments later, Alice fresh-faced and smelling minty. Bella eye'd her wet toothbrush by the sink and made a face, until she realized Alice's tongue had literally been in her mouth just a few hours prior, and her venom probably neutralized germs anyway.

(Which, when Alice first mentioned her venom, had damn near given Bella a heart attack because " _I've been kissing you a lot, like, a_ _ **lot**_ _, Alice, what does that mean for me? Can you accidentally change someone by kiss? I'm addicted, I can't stop now-"_ and on and on she went until Alice shut her up with another kiss. Venom and poison were two different things; one had to be ingested to suffer the effects, and one had to be injected. As long as Alice's venom did not enter her bloodstream, she was fine.)

Alice was staring down at her phone with upturned lips. "Rose texted me, and I'm to pass this along. 'Warn Isabella that I will happily snap her fingers off if she ever dares to text me again. I've also warned Emmett against giving out my new number, lest I snap something precious off of him. I trust that I need not threaten my dear sister as well.'"

"What a big ol' softie," Bella cooed.

The two of them shared a fond look, Alice thoughtful and trying to dissect, Bella tranquil and enjoying the moment. Alice bit her lip and shook her head slightly. "I have seen Rosalie reduce grown men to pale and trembling messes with a mere look. How are you not scared of her?"

"Oh, I'm terrified. My palms start sweating when she enters the room," Bella said earnestly. "But I'm also a phenomenal poker player."

"Meaning...?"

She shrugged. "I can call people's bluffs better than they can call mine." Bella popped her lips together a few times and glanced around the hallway before jerking her head towards the stairs. "Shall we go finish this thing?"

Cool fingers wrapped around the back of her suspenders, keeping her from taking another step away, and she was tugged back into Alice's chest. She felt lips ghost over the skin of her neck, Alice's nose nuzzling into her hair, and a purr vibrate against her back. All in all, she was melting into puddy in Alice's hands. "Bella, I would hate to make a liar out of you. Especially to your dad."

"Uhhh... hmm... huh?" Yes, definitely puddy. Puddy without thought. Puddy that could only feel. And feel _so good_ at that.

In the blink of an eye, she was spun around and pressed up against the wall. Burning amber eyes stared up at her, mischief and hunger swirling together and making her lightheaded. "Your excuse to get up here may have been poor," Alice's nose brushed against hers, their foreheads resting together – Bella could taste the mint and fruit that hid beneath, just out of reach of her lips, "but like you, it had a certain charming quality about it."

"Oh."

...

" _Oh!"_

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **surprise, bitch! Predictability is for chumps, my dudes, for _chumps._ Also, I'm getting another tattoo this saturday so let's celebrate. **

**(1)God, okay. Here's the thing. I wanted Bella to have weird knowledge about random shit because canon was that Renee went through like a bunch of weird phases, right? I can't remember, it's been so long since I've touched anything canon. But I think that was right. So I was like, dude, Bella must have a bunch of talents and knowledge she gathered from all these phases so SHE DOES. But I, personally, do not. So when I wrote this I was like "here, we'll google a nice bottle later, hurdy hurdy hurdy" and kept on writing. And then came back and googled it to add it and MY FUCKING DUCKS GUYS I GOT SO CONFUSED, WINE IS CONFUSING AND INTIMIDATING. So, like, that's an expensive bottle of wine, but I don't know if that's how you name it. "Three fucking names, what the fuck? Which one do I fucking put? All of them? What the FUCK, Craig?!" (Craig is the name of my piece o' shit laptop)**

 **Firenubs. Fire. Nubs. _Firenubs._**

 **peace**

 **-Paige(The Unpredictable)**


	18. Chapter 18

**CULLEN FAMILY** : Esme and Carlisle. Rosalie and Emmett. Jasper and Victoria. Edward. Alice. Wensley and Jessica.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Twilight.

 **Rated:** T.

 **Author:** xPaige Turnerx

 **Summary:** COMPLETED AND WAITING TO POST. "Trust me, dating a vampire and having a wolf for a brother are the LEAST complicated aspects of my life. Every now and then my nose reenacts the elevator scene from The Shining, and I randomly wake up in the woods. Normal was shot to Hell a long time ago."

" _At the center of your being_

 _you have the answer;_

 _you know who you are_

 _you know what you want."_

 _-Lao Tzu_

Esme pulled her rover into the space behind Chief Swan's cruiser, putting it into park as he got out. She collected her purse, depositing the keys inside, and climbed out of the vehicle to go help bring in the groceries she assisted him with purchasing. (The amount of bacon and potatoes was startling, especially combined with a lack of veggies, and the six pack of beer. No wonder Bella did the shopping.)

The two, however, were distracted by the teenager's colourful language as she crawled along the roof of the porch. Esme had met both sailors and truck drivers alike that, combined, could not come up with such foul language on the spot. She chewed on her lip, trying to tame her grin, and watched Bella reach down over the ledge of the roof to the dangling icicles hanging dangerously over the walkway. "Bella?"

"-to jump up your own ass and die! What?!" she snapped, looking up at them sharply with a fierce glare. One that immediately melted away when she saw them. A clump of snow fell from where she lifted her hand, taking a rather large icicle with it. Everyone watched it shatter on the sidewalk below and Bella quickly sat up on her heels, hand in the air to wiggle her fingers. "Oh! Momma C, hi. Um. Sorry."

Reaching into the back of the cruiser, Esme grabbed a few bags to carry. "What are you up to, my dear?" She approached the freshly broken ice, standing just in front, to stare up at the teenager above her. Bella poked her head over the side to look back at her, a lopsided and endearing grin on her face. Esme blinked up at her reflection in Bella's glasses.

"Oh, just, you know," Bella gestured vaguely to the icicles and the freshly shovelled sidewalk, "they could fall and impale someone. While _I_ would find that hilariously wicked, I'm told it would be bad and I should feel bad about it."

Charlie grunted, leaning closer to Esme as he walked by and lowered his voice. "Kid's been weird about home maintenance since she could walk. Don't ever let her near your garden. The most sarcastic, cutting, and apathetic momma hen I've ever seen."

With a sharp click of her tongue, Bella brushed an armful of snow down on her father, who shuffled back just in time. He barked out a laugh and gave her a sarcastic little salute. "Well I don't see anyone else up here doing it, now do I, Dad?" Bella grumbled as she got back to work.

He shrugged and led Esme into the house. "She likes to complain about it – hell, she likes to complain in general, but uh... it's like she can't resist. Spent an entire summer when she was sixteen building the shed out back when the last one's roof caved in. Renee _swore_ she'd go into architecture, construction, or some kind of interior design with all the little home projects Bells has done through the years."

"All excellent fields to enter," Esme commented as she followed to the kitchen. She herself had a few degrees under her belt in both fields, as well as experience in construction. Perhaps it was something she and Bella could bond over.

"Yeah," he nodded, "but she doesn't care about any of 'em. I don't know why she does it but she ain't passionate about it. She's either on autopilot when she does it or she's bitchin' up a storm and ready to pick a fight about it."

Esme hummed, looking back towards the front door. "Interesting..." she murmured, jotting down the information to bring home later. This was the first real look she'd gotten inside the Swan house, and her curiosity was officially piqued. It was clear that Charlie had lived here longer than Bella, numerous signs hinting at his personality. The beat-up couch in the living room, the lazy boy in front of an expensive television.

In fact, it all looked to be the Chief's doing. Nothing quite matched, and those that did were aimed towards sports or hunting, both of which Esme knew Bella didn't really care for. Everything else was a necessity, looked to be purchased as an uncertain afterthought, or default.

Keeping in mind what he said about his daughter, however, Esme noticed it _was_ all very well kept. No paint peeling or chipped, no table or chair wobbly, nothing uneven. Everything was in pristine condition, or as pristine as it could be after natural wear and tear. Someone took care of what was there, even if they didn't add to it.

Curiosity ate at her gut, her eyes sliding to the staircase. She knew from the nights of watching over the house that Bella's bedroom was on the second floor, though she'd never been inside. Esme understood the need for privacy, firsthand experience with how sensitive Alice was about her room, and didn't want to intrude. She would wait until Bella invited her in. Until then, she would have to battle her own curiosity.

" _You fucker!"_

 _ **Thud!**_

Both parents looked at each other and made for the front hall. They were stopped when Bella kicked open the door, covered head to toe in snow, her face a charming rosy colour from the chill. Her glasses were askew and Esme adjusted them with a big smile, pressing a chaste kiss to Bella's forehead, and went out for more groceries.

In the yard, she could see the disturbed snow and imprint where Bella, allegedly, fell from the roof of the porch. A low chuckle escaped Esme's lips and she hummed, shaking her head. Inside she could hear the Swans talking amongst themselves, and did her best to give them privacy. An impossible feat, without the soundproof rooms of her own home, but she still tried.

"What's Mrs Cullen doing here?" Bella asked quietly.

"Hm? Oh, bumped into her at the store. I was picking stuff up for supper and she took pity on me, gave me a hand."

"Aww, does that mean no bacon?!"

Chief Swan laughed heartily and Esme could hear him scratch the back of his neck like she had seen Bella do so many times. "She convinced me of healthier alternatives. Gotta say, if Alice is anything like Esme, I understand how you couldn't resist her."

"What?" A confused pause. "Ew." A disgruntled pause. " _Eww_ , don't talk about my mom like that."

The bag in Esme's hands slipped between her fingers, landing on the snow covered driveway. She blinked over the cruiser, at the trees, with blank eyes.

"Huh? ...Bells?"

"I mean Alice's mom."

It wasn't uncommon for the other Cullen children to call her mom, usually when they wanted something or were in trouble, but she knew it was for her benefit more than their perception.

"Ah, Bella. I, uh-"

All adults, and independent vampires that viewed her as the matriarch of the coven, head of the house, and a mother figure.

"Not my mom. Pffft. I know that. She's not my mom. She's the opposite of my mom. My _un_ mom, if you will."

But none of them saw her as their actual mother, from a child's perspective.

"Kiddo, I know Renee-"

Except, perhaps, Bella...?

"I love Renee with all my heart, Dad. You know that. She's my mother, even though she didn't give birth to me. She and I are two peas in a pod when we get together, she's my best friend."

"But not much of a mom."

Esme looked back towards the house. Heard Bella scuffing the floor with her boot.

"It's not her fault. She's just not the mom type, God knows how desperately she tried. And it's not like I made it easy to be the mother of."

"That ain't on you, kid."

Her heart clenched in her chest, hearing the guilt in Bella's voice, the confused sympathy in Charlie's.

An awkward throat clearing. "Yeah, well, just don't tell Mrs Cullen I... _oh shi_ -oot. Shoot. Do you think she heard any of that?" The embarrassment was clear in her voice and snapped Esme out of her thoughts. She picked up the bag and made her way back to the house.

"Doubt it, she was all the way out by the cars."

"Ho ho, greeeat. That is _not_ helpful," Bella grumbled with pink cheeks when Esme entered the house. "H-hi! Hey, what uh, what're you... what's up?"

Esme flashed a reassuring smile, setting the groceries on the table. Living under the same roof as a psychic, empath, and mind reader for so long had fine-tuned her poker face. "Sorry, I had to make a phone call outside and got a little distracted. Is everything okay in here?" It also helped that _nobody ever suspected the butterfly._

"Oh, yeah." Bella's shoulders sagged with relief. "Everything's aces."

Patting her shoulder as she went by, Esme nodded. Her smile refused to dim. "Yes, I agree. Everything is aces."

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

The two sat in Carlisle's office, staring hard at one another. "Now?"

"Still brown."

She grumbled under her breath, eyebrows low and pinched together on her face. "What about now?"

"Brown."

The grandfather clock in the corner of the room was the only thing that kept a drowning silence at bay. "And now?"

"I think it's safe to assume I will say something when they change colour, Bella."

"Okay." Fingers tapped on the leather arms of the chair she sat in. "But now?"

"Bella," Carlisle laughed.

She scowled but nodded. "Yeah, I know, I know."

"You say they change with emotional disturbance?"

"Yup. Or, I've been told, at least. I can't always tell when they change. In fact, I usually can't. But Charlie and Renee can both corroborate that they shift faster and more often when I'm upset."

He scribbled something down on his pad. "And how do you feel now?"

"Dunno, doc," she shrugged, "pretty good, I guess. Just been chilling here all day. Jess and I went for a walk, Emmett showed me his comics, and Alice and I... um. Cuddled." Her cheeks were stained red with a blush, heat creeping up the back of her neck. "She – I – she likes to cuddle. Ahem. Something about my warmth, but also affection. Er. Well, you know how Alice is."

A kind gaze studied her with interest. "Yes, I do. You're quite taken with Alice, hm?"

"Maybe?" Bella laughed awkwardly, looking out the window across the room. The pixie's smile came to mind, her chime-like laughter. "She's great, I really... she's the best thing to ever happen to my life."

The smile on Carlisle's face was wide and full of wonder. He leaned forward in his chair, the air around him suddenly excited. "Bella," he called gently and waited for her to look at him. She swore he bounced in his seat a little. "Your eyes are pink. Your irises, to be more accurate, are a pale pink."

Reflexively, Bella gave her head a jerk and her glasses fell down to the bridge of her nose. Carlisle's smile faltered. "Oh, well. There you go. That-" she cleared her throat and roughly got to her feet, "-there's your colour change."

"Bella, you don't have to be embarrassed."

"I'm not embarrassed!" she snapped, crossing the room towards the door. "You wanted to see the change, and you've seen them before, so I agreed. What more do you want from me? You got to see it firsthand, go jot in your diary about it."

Though cutting, her words were more defensive than anything, and Carlisle could feel the panic coming off her in waves. His heart ached at the possible reasons Bella would feel the need to lash out and react like this, at someone seeing her eyes. The girl had, clearly, been burned before because of it. "Bella, you are safe and cared for here."

"I don't need your protection. I don't need anything from you or anyone else," she growled and wrenched the door open.

It slammed shut with an echoing bang.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

Hoisting himself over the back of the couch, Jake landed with a loud bang and dropped onto the end of the couch by her feet. He let his head fall back, a lazy grin stretching across his face, and draped his arm along the back to hold out a blunt to her. She glanced up from the strings on her ukulele, brows pinched as she tried to hold her fingers in the right position. She shook her head absently until he pulled it away again, " _And is it worth the wait, all this killing time?"_

The south wall shook in time with a grim sounding thud, the picture frame hanging on it falling to the ground and cracking split. Jake's grin faded into a firm line, a shadow falling across his face. He sighed deeply, leaning forward to hold his chin in his hands. She could see the muscles in his shoulders and back twitch and spasm, knew he was beating down the wolf within.

" _Are you strong enough to stand, protecting both your heart and mine?"_

Quil jerked up to his feet, kicking the old milk crate he was using as a makeshift chair. It skittered across the garage floor, slamming into Embry's workbench in the corner. His stormy face made Bella's gut churn, the boy stomping over to the chair by the couch. He took the blunt Jake offered. "Since when do you pass without a puff, Bella?"

"A while," she replied as she continued to strum the ukulele. She was tempted to send a video to Alice, hear more of the pixie's teasing about her obscure knowledge and talents she picked up from Renee's phases. "I've learned to appreciate life in all its chaotic, agonizing beauty." She smirked at the roll of his eyes. " _Who is the betrayer, who's the killer in the crowd?"_

A snort shook Jake's shoulders. "Yeah, okay, buddy. Miss Namaste over here had a wicked bad brownie experience and now just the taste makes her sick."

"I was _paralyzed_ , Jacob Black!" she hissed at him, embarrassment colouring her cheeks. "It's not funny."

Still, he laughed. "You weren't paralyzed, brother," he said. His large hands motioned to the ground beyond the murky glass table covered in clutter. "She's laying on the ground, _swearing to God_ that she's standing. Saying... oh man, what were you saying?" He squinted back at her, trying to dig up the memory. "Hah, okay, she's saying 'no, dude, Jake, I got up! I got up but my body didn't!' Hahaha, she was freaking out. Either weeping or laughing so hard no noise came out."

"Yeah, well. It was my second weekend back here in over a year, and the second time we hung out since we were kids, so. Fuck you."

A beefy hand grabbed her knee, giving it an affectionate shake. The wall trembled again, the three of them looking up, laughter dying out. Jake sighed deeply. "Should we leave?"

" _The one who creeps in corridors, and doesn't make a sound?"_

Quil glanced at Bella, his head hanging over his lap. The frown on his face hardened into a thin line and he looked up to Jake. "No. We stay. We don't leave packmates behind. If it happens again, we'll go in there and-"

"I said _no_ , I'm not _fucking going!"_ Embry snarled from the door attaching the garage to the house, slamming it open. "The Council can kiss my ass if they think I'll roll over for them and Sam."

He swung the door closed behind him, cutting off his father's angry shouting. The other three sat stock-still, looking up at him with wide eyes. With a smile that didn't reach his eyes, Embry dropped into the beanbag chair on the other side of the table. "What's up, guys?"

" _My love has concrete feet."_

The tense atmosphere melted away, Jake leaning back into the couch again. "Bella's turned some kickass Florence and the Machine into a creepy as fuck sounding children's rhyme." The other three gave him varying looks of confusion. "Yeah, it's all slow and dark, I feel like I should be standing in an old abandoned playpark at night. Pair of creepy-ass bloody twins down the road giggling like little demons. How you're doing that with a _ukulele_ of all things is beyond me, but it's giving me damn chills."

"I like it," Quil quipped with a grin. He eagerly leaned forward to meet Bella's fistbump, happy he was finally back in her good graces.

" _My love's an iron ball,"_ she sang with a pointed look to Jake. He scoffed, staring down into the can of soda in his hands. " _Wrapped around your ankles, over the waterfall."_

Embry's phone chimed and he fished it out of his pocket, blunt between his lips. Those dark eyes flickered across the screen and lit up. "That's Leah, she's here! Thought it was time you guys met, Bells."

"What?" Jake shot up to his feet, hands adjusting his hair. "Leah's here? _Here_ here?"

Quil chuckled deep in his chest, feet propped up on the table and hands behind his head. "What's a matter, Jakey Boy, nervous to see your girlfriend?"

"She's not my girlfriend!"

Bella's eyebrows climbed up her forehead with interest as she watched the exchange. "Well, well, well. Look who can tease whom about having or not having a girlfriend now." At his confused look, she grinned. "Ha ha, you have a crush on a girl!"

"I – are you seven years old?" he asked around an amused bark of laughter.

She grumbled, strumming harder on the ukulele. " _I'm so heavy. Heavy. Heavy in your arms."_

The previously slammed door opened silently this time, a tall dark figure slipping into the room gracefully. Bella's last strum of the ukulele had it toppling to the floor with a clang, her mouth slack and hanging just open. Leah Clearwater got _hot._ Bella remembered the little tomboy who chased her and the boys around when they were young, for some reason never quite accepted into the group. While the boys saw Bella as one of the guys, they still saw Leah as a girl.

And now she was a young woman and Bella felt her cheeks heat up. Leah's thick ebony hair hung low down towards her waist, loose and straight except for the lock of braid on the side, three red feathers in the tie. Her dark tanned skin was marked only by the beautiful ink of her tattoos; an elegant tribal dreamcatcher down her back that Bella could just make out by all the skin showing from her little tank top, script flowing along her left arm, and an inkblot bird (like a Rorschach test, Bella grudgingly knew well) that she instinctively knew, somewhere in her gut, was a raven. _A raven._ She could not pry her eyes away from it.

"If I'd known I was being sung in, I would have made a more dramatic entrance," a husky voice laughed, the sound just scratchy enough to elicit a shiver.

The trance was broken and Bella blinked rapidly colour-shifting eyes. She winced, rubbing at her forehead, and looked up at the girl. Deep brown eyes looked back at her, an eyebrow hooking up. Bella exhaled harder than normal, not quite a laugh, and held out her hand. "Bella Swan."

"Leah," the girl replied with a firm shake. She was noticeably warm, though not as much as the boys. "I was beginning to think these boys were hiding you from me."

An awkward laugh tore from Jake's throat, shrill and forced. He kneeled on the edge of the couch beside Bella, large hand resting on her head, subtly shoving her face into the arm of the couch. "What? No, we're not hiding her. She just prefers hanging out at her girlfriend's house, with her girlfriend, whom she's girlfriends with. Hard to separate those two, they're just so into each other, and I can't blame them. They're perfect together, nothing and no one will ever come between them, ever, like it's not even worth trying, those kids are gonna make it."

Behind him, Quil and Embry were snickering to one another. Bella wrestled the hand from her face, looking up at him like he'd grown a second head. "What the fuck..." she whispered in flabbergasted awe.

"Yeah, you're dating a Pale Face, right?" Leah asked. She either didn't notice Jake's... whatever that was or didn't show that she did.

Bella nodded, finally pulling her gaze from her weird brother, and back to Leah. She noticed a lack of the usual disgust or unease with which the wolves spoke about the Cullens, only intrigue and curiosity. "Well there are a lot of pale faces in Forks, it's not like we're in the sunshine state, but yeah. She's a vampire."

"Ballsy," Leah commented. She hopped over the couch and sat down before Bella could move her legs, offering a wink from her perch on the girl's knees. "Have a seat, Jake," she waved a hand to the space at the end of the couch and turned back to Bella, "I want to have a chat with your brother here."

Pressing further into the arm of the couch, Bella tried to put more distance between the two of them. She had a feeling Alice wouldn't appreciate Leah's antics or possible flirting. "What about?"

"All kinds of things, _Osado,"_ the wolf hummed, eyes flashing dangerously. "I hear you're different."

Bella leaned sideways enough to look at her brother who was pouting at the end of the couch, aiming a scowl at him. "Ah, Jacob, I should have known your conscience would get the better of you."

"Eh?"

She shook her head. "Forget it." Bella sighed, propping her hands on the arm and back of the couch, lifting herself enough until Leah slid down her legs and onto the cushion instead. "I hear you're the first girl shifter in forever, too," she said as she resituated herself.

"Far more boring than what you've got going on, I'm sure," Leah murmured with disappointment. "Can I see your eyes?"

"No."

Her frown grew. "I'll show you the scars from my first shift."

This had the boys looking up curiously. Another thing that had set Leah aside from the others was that nobody really knew what happened during her first and only shift, just that she turned up the next morning covered in blood, looking like she'd been mauled by a bear, and too shaken to even speak. After a week of silence, she finally emerged from her room but refused to speak a single word about it.

"I don't give an obese rat's relatively large ass," Bella said sweetly.

With a dramatic sigh, Leah nodded and leaned back towards Jacob. "Alright, _Osado_ , be that way," she said as he perked up.

Bella grabbed the empty can by her end of the table and threw it at Embry to gain his attention. "What's _osado_? Is she insulting me?"

"Quite the opposite," Leah murmured. She leaned in to whisper something in Jake's ear that had him melting into the couch.

Scoffing, Bella looked back over to her friend. He shrugged. "Means bold. Daring one."

"I don't know what your angle is-"

Leah full out laughed this time, throwing her head back. "My angle? I wasn't aware I even had angles."

"Well there's something going on here," Bella huffed. She ran her sweaty palms up and down her thighs, trying to soothe the tingle she could feel settling over her skin.

With renewed interest, Leah's gaze was dragged back to Bella. Her hands and then her face. "So you _do_ feel it?"

"Hey, oh, hey," Jake laughed uneasily. He shifted on the couch, angling his body to face those two. "I-I feel it too, ya know. There's something between you two, between me and my brother, between you and I, Leah." His face scrunched up suddenly, like he was sucking on a sour lemon. "Er, something platonic between me and Bella, I mean."

Her hand reached back to pat his knee, smirk hooking her lips up. "Jacob, you're adorable, but I'm a little busy right now," Leah said.

The tingling shifted to more of an itch. And itch that almost burned.

"Listen, lady, people don't just _saunter_ into rooms, sit on laps, whisper sweet nothings into my brother's ear, and-and-and call me cool names for nothing. You're all kinds of distracting shifty sketchy undertones, and I'll have none of it," Bella ranted, sweeping her arms out as she stared hard at her feet.

Her heart slammed against her chest as Leah slid along the couch towards her. "I don't know if you're angry at me or trying to flirt." Her voice was amused, teasing, and right in Bella's ear.

"Definitely not that!" Bella swung her head around to look at Leah who was _too close, way too close, nope._ "I am happily taken, so you can just squash that thought right here and now."

Leah's arm was laced along the back of the couch and Bella could feel the heat coming from it. "You're awfully defensive over one simple little request, Swan. I'm only teasing."

"Yeah, well, tease Jake. He's into it, I'm not."

"I _am_ into it, just by-the-by."

"Believe me, I will tease Jacob, but I'm a little more interested in you right now."

A sweat broke out across her brow, Bella sucking in a shuddering breath. "Get out of my face."

"I'm really not trying to pick a fight," Leah said, a little more seriously, a little more sympathetically. "I didn't mean to poke so hard-"

"No," Bella shoved her back into Jake. "Literally get out of my face. B-back up."

Alarmed, Jacob leaned around Leah to grab Bella's hand. "Bells?!"

"I can't... I can't breathe..." she gasped in a breath and lifted to her feet, holding out her hand at Quil who leapt to assist her. "I can't..." the room blurred at the edges, her head feeling like it was spinning, "hey!"

Leah's face, concerned and determined, was there and hands were leading Bella back towards the couch. "You need to sit and catch your breath or you're going to pass out."

"You need to _fuck off_ and leave me alone!" Bella snarled and gave the girl another shove that had her tripping backwards over the table. A few distorted shouts nearly didn't make it to her ears, the room bathed in red. "Your-your otherness is _suffocating_ me and I need some fucking space! Get _back,_ Embry, or I swear to God I'm going to rip your throat out."

The boys all exchanged shocked looks at the feral undertones of her voice.

Pain exploded in her knee and when she blinked, she realized she was partially collapsed to the ground. The red room spun quickly, her friend's faces blurry, faded. Strangers staring back at her, intimidating, threatening. Threats.

"Bella, hey, it's okay. I'm calling Pixie Feet right now, it's gonna be okay," Jake's voice finally reached her. His strong arms wrapped around her, hugging her tightly to him, and the deep red of the room started to fade.

She sucked in another breath, choking on warm liquid that she coughed into her hand. "I don't-I feel-"

A rag was pressed against her face, her nose pinched between Jake's fingers. "Holy shit, Bella. Fuck. Call her dad, call Charlie!" There was shuffling around the room and a sigh of relief. "Alice! Hey, Alice! Yeah, she's having an episode – _no!_ No, you can't cross, he won't understand. Yeah, she's bleeding. I know it's normal, I know, but it's still... fuck, it's still scary. Okay, I'm cradling her head. Yeah, she's calming down. Okay, I got this. You're okay, Bella. It's okay."

"I don't know what she is," Bella slurred through the rag, pulling Jake's hand from her face to look at him. Her head felt like it was splitting open. "But she's not like you. Jake. Jacob. She doesn't feel like you. She's not like you..."

The room blacked out a second before she did.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

Dark eyes stared back at her, the feather's from Leah's braid tickling her nose. Teeth were flashed in a feral grin at her. "Rise and shine, Dizzy Izzy," Leah murmured. Bella's hand shot up to her glasses and the wolf scoffed. "Relax, I didn't peek. I, more than most, can appreciate the need for privacy."

"You'll forgive me if I don't take your word for it," Bella grunted, her voice rough and scratchy.

Leah's grin faded. "I know I pushed too hard back there. I didn't mean to." She sat back on the floor as Bella sat up, leaning against the back of the couch. "My emotions get this snowball effect going. They just start building and building and building? I can't always control them and then they have me saying and doing things I wouldn't usually do."

"I really don't care." Bella wiped under her nose, rubbing off the dried blood. A look around the room showed they were alone and she sourly wondered where Jake was. "I wanna go home."

A sigh heaved Leah's shoulders and she nodded. "Yeah, Jacob went to go get your truck. Your Pale Face is waiting at the border for you. Iz, I'm... I truly didn't mean to upset you and especially not, what was that, trigger you?"

"That's actually not your fault," Bella said quietly. "Upsetting me is, but the rest of it is on me. Or my genetics, rather."

"I know, I just, I couldn't stop. I meant it when I said there's something between us. I wasn't being flirty, I wasn't talking about chemistry. Something keeps dragging me back to you and it has for as long as I can remember. I used to..." she let out an embarrassed laugh, rolling her eyes to the ceiling to avoid eye contact. "I used to chase you around the Res all the time when we were young."

Bella's brows furrowed. "I thought you just wanted to be part of the group."

"You do remember?" Leah lit up, looking back at her eagerly. "Something about you keeps drawing me in, it's like I'm hyper aware of your presence, and all steps lead back to you."

Gut flipping, Bella inched away. "You didn't," she sighed deeply, "you didn't Imprint on me, did you?"

"Hm? Oh, no," Leah shook her head with another laugh. "Much as I like to flirt, I'm not actually interested. No offence, Iz. I have no desire to break up your relationship, I just like to have my fun." She looked back to Bella. "You and I are connected on a different level, and I reacted... poorly. I just wanted to apologize for that."

The wolf got up to her feet, dusting off her pants, and made towards the garage door. An engine rumbled outside, one Bella recognized as the truck she drove, and stood as well. "You didn't actually apologize yet."

"My deepest regrets, _Osado_ ," Leah muttered with a sarcastic bow. "Happy?"

Bella wrapped her hand around Leah's wrist, stopping her from lifting the garage door. The wolf looked back curiously, down at their joined hands, and back up. "You're not like them, you don't feel like them."

"So you've said."

"That doesn't concern you?" Bella asked. Her brows furrowed, eyes narrowing. "...because you already knew that."

Leah's face smoothed out into a guarded blankness. "None of the boys came back from their shift with scars."

"What happened to you?"

"Show me your eyes."

The two of them stared each other down, neither one willing to budge. Bella felt her skin start to tingle again and stepped back. "I'm just trying to help you."

"I don't need your help," the wolf scoffed, crossing her arms. "You're the one pulling _The Exorcist_ back there. Sounds like you could use _my_ help."

Bella crossed her arms over her chest, feeling her anger beginning to grow into rage. Misplaced rage. Rage that wasn't her own, she knew that now. And it pissed her off even more. "Yeah, and what do you know about me that makes you think you can help?"

"I told you, we're connected," Leah insisted. Her face and voice were frustrated and she looked to be battling her own anger, but she remained calmer than Bella in that moment. "You've been trying to ignore what you are all your life. _I've_ been embracing what I am, preparing for it, and learning about it."

"Goodie for you, not all of us had wolfie councils to rely on."

Another feral grin was flashed at her. "You said yourself, Iz, I'm not like them."

"What _are_ you then?" Bella demanded with a scowl.

Leah hummed, crouching down to grab the garage door again. "You'd be surprised the knowledge passed down through oral history within the Tribes around these parts. Especially the farther North you go. You should come with me, my next trip up to Nunavut, hear it yourself."

"I don't want to go anywhere with you."

The large door slid open with a grinding noise that had Bella wincing, Leah sighing deeply. "Not yet, but you will."

"How can you be so sure?" scoffed Bella.

The wolf shrugged, hands in her pockets, and started towards the yard. "Told you, _Osado,"_ she gave Bella one final nod before turning away to cut through the yard towards the woods, "you and I are connected."

Bella watched her go with a growl rumbling in her own chest, pale eyes narrowed behind her glasses.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **Little bit longer of a chapter to hold y'all over until next week. I anticipate a mixed reception on Leah. I have mixed feelings, too. I went in with one thing in mind, and then she kinda just was like "well how about this instead" so here we are. The amount of research that went into trying to figure out the language the Quileute (or Quillayute) speak was... a lot, dude, and hella frustrating. They got dying languages comin' out the wazoo, and some of them are legit _only_ spoken, not written, and _all_ of them are impossible or damn near impossible to translate. Like you know you're fucked when Google's all: *hell if I know. Good luck, buddy***

 **So they speak Spanish. Fight me.**

 **In fact, I did, izobelle.**

 **SH4D0W44, robots _are_ cool and anyone who says otherwise is lying. **

**Cloud, your review had me snorting painfully, so brava.**

 **PEACE**

 **paige**


	19. Chapter 19

**CULLEN FAMILY** : Esme and Carlisle. Rosalie and Emmett. Jasper and Victoria. Edward. Alice. Wensley and Jessica.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Twilight.

 **Rated:** T.

 **Author:** xPaige Turnerx

 **Summary:** COMPLETED AND WAITING TO POST. "Trust me, dating a vampire and having a wolf for a brother are the LEAST complicated aspects of my life. Every now and then my nose reenacts the elevator scene from The Shining, and I randomly wake up in the woods. Normal was shot to Hell a long time ago."

" _At the center of your being_

 _you have the answer;_

 _you know who you are_

 _you know what you want."_

 _-Lao Tzu_

 **TRIGGER WARNING: self harm/suicide attempt mentions in this chapter.**

"No, no, it's like this, Bella," Edward insisted, his voice pinched in frustration. His long, pale fingers gracefully slid along the ivory keys, smooth and fluidly with practised ease. His touch was delicate, precise, light. Perfect.

Bella groaned, throwing her head back to scowl up at the ceiling. "Yeah, maybe if we were in the seventeen hundreds and opening for Mozart. You gotta put _feeling_ behind it, Ed, some _attitude._ " Bella's own technique was vastly different from the vampire's; heavy hands jerking along the piano, fingers tapping the keys with _oomph_. Much to his disbelief, she even refused to stick to the sheet music, each mistake she made somehow worked into the song instead of starting over or following instruction.

"Bella, you can't just flip that part!" he exclaimed with wide eyes.

She huffed, reaching around behind him to tap a couple keys at his end of the bench. "Why not?"

"Because it's not the same song, otherwise! It's completely different now."

"Uh, no, it's still the same song. Just a different perspective."

"No, these notes are not in it."

"And yet I'm playing them."

His bushy eyebrows tugged together, that frustration battling against fascination. "This is inaccurate."

"It's music," Bella laughed and bumped her shoulder against his (she scowled at the flare of pain it produced), "it's never inaccurate, just different."

"So you admit it is a different song!"

"I admit nothing, nerd."

Slender hands rested on Bella's shoulder, Alice's scent engulfing her in a cloud of bliss. Instinctively, she leaned back into the pixie. "That's my line, silly Bella."

"Are _all_ vampires always right or is it just you two?" Bella questioned sarcastically.

Alice laughed, leaning down to place an affectionate peck on Bella's cheek. "Just us, and mostly me. Isn't that right, Edward?"

"You know I hate to disagree with you, dear sister of mine," he replied diplomatically, charming smile in place. And then leaned closer to Bella to stage whisper, "because the old bird tends to drone on and on and _on_ about why she thinks she's correct."

An indignant noise tore from Alice's throat and Bella felt her hop in place, wrestling her chuckle down lest she be on the receiving end of the wrath she knew was on its way. "First of all, _little brother_ ," Alice began haughtily. "Who said computers were 'mere science fiction that the practical world would leave behind', hmm?"

"I couldn't understand how they got all of that information into one little box, on one little chip! Bella, computers used to take up entire _rooms_ , large rooms easily twice the size of this one."

"And I'm not old!" Alice continued as if he hadn't said a word. She stuck her tongue out at him petulantly.

He grinned at her, a wistful sigh escaping between his lips. "Ah, Alice, but we are. That was going on seventy years ago, now."

" _Daaaamn,"_ Bella breathed.

"Yes, well," Alice stepped back and held out her arms, "I do look good for my age, don't I? Bella?"

To placate her girlfriend, Bella dramatically spun around on the bench to tell Alice her appearance could make angels weep. But the moment she turned, her eyes widened and quickly spun back. "Oh my God, Alice!" she gasped out, staring across the room at the French doors. "That's so cute! I can't look."

"Bella!" Alice laughed, twirling in place. Edward rolled his eyes at the two and their antics.

Bella shook her head. "I can't! It's too much cute, Alice, too much!"

"Bella! I did this for you."

"Undo it then, the levels of adorable have reached critical mass. Undo it!"

A pout slid onto Alice's face, hands on her hips. "Well I did it for me, too, so look! Look at meee!"

"I can't," Bella peeked over her shoulder again, caught sight of the bows, and squeezed her eyes shut, "if I look now, I'll never stop falling."

Edward's fingers stilled on the piano keys, the room plunged into silence.

 _SHIT._

"Bella..?"

 _FUCK. FUCK. FUCK._

"What did you just say?" Alice asked breathlessly.

 _MAYDAY. MAY-FRIGGIN-DAY. MAYDAY._

"Are you saying you l-"

"I have to go." Bella jerked up to her feet, banging her knees on the piano. She clumsily slid around it, staring down at her feet with wide eyes and a blank face as her exploded brain drained out her ears. "To the bathroom. B-Be right back."

When her hand met the railing of the staircase, her mind finally rebooted. The last thirty seconds kept replaying itself in her head, over and over. She pushed into the upstairs bathroom, closing the door behind her and leaned against it.

Okay. Okay. Close call. That was... that was close. Just breathe. Relax. _You didn't actually say it._ This was fixable. There was no need to panic, none at all. People say things all the time, and really, how could Alice know for sure what she meant. _I'm clumsy. I fall all the time. I could have just been telling her that I would have been falling out of my seat. Yes. Easy fix._

The window in Alice's room slid up with ease. How she got across the hall, she could not tell you, but she was _acutely_ aware of herself climbing out of Alice's window. Over the top, that's what this was, over the top and dramatic. Unnecessary. Extra. God, all of those horrible things she never, ever thought she would be or do. Because who did this? Who climbed out of windows to avoid a conversation?

Nobody. Nobody _actually_ did that.

"Are you really climbing out of the window after telling Alice you love her?" Rosalie asked. Her tone was dull, almost bored except for the _infinitely_ small traces of curiosity in it. "Or that you could love her, rather."

Part of Bella was glad she could not look over her shoulder at the blonde down below, scared of the look she was sure was aimed her way. "Are you really not going to give me a hand?"

"You are correct."

The second the words left her lips, Bella's hand slipped. She landed with a heavy thud in the snow two stories down, the wind knocked out of her lungs, leaving her gasping for air. "Holy shit! Am I dead?"

"Unfortunately, no."

Rosalie's arms were crossed over her chest, honey-gold eyes staring down at Bella coldly. And yet, she was there. Her presence was more telling than her words, Bella noted. "You really didn't catch me?"

"I said I wouldn't," Rosalie shrugged indifferently.

Bella frowned, more of a pout. "Damn, Rosalie. Why do you hate me?"

"I..." the blonde sighed deeply. Her lips twitched, a frustrated frown slipping onto her face. Her cold perfection shifted in that moment, shuddering, threatening to shatter right before Bella's very eyes. "I don't hate you, Isabella."

"Call me Bella," she said softly.

"No."

And the stormy mask was back, walls shooting up sky high, that little bit of warmth in Rosalie's face dying out quickly.

"...Fine," Bella grumbled around tight lips, forcing the smile to stay on her face. What a grating woman. What an enchanting, enrapturing, grating woman. "Why don't you like me?"

Rosalie scoffed. "Why should I?" she challenged.

"I'm delightful," Bella replied, this time with a more easygoing smirk.

Those topaz eyes rolled skyward. "You're biased."

"Yes, but not in the way you might think." Bella shot her finger guns.

Again, Rosalie's mask threatened to crumble. "You infuriate me."

"Why?"

"I could ask that question myself."

Bella shrugged, the best she could in that position. "I don't do it on purpose."

"Really." Rosalie's hip jutted out, head tilting to the side to let loose a golden wave of hair.

The brunette grinned widely again. "Well, not _always._ Happy accidents, and all that."

"I'm leaving." The declaration was punctuated by Rosalie turning on her heel, trudging through the snow again.

Raising her hand up, Bella pointed in the direction she knew the blonde left in. "You will like me one day, Rosalie!"

"Hmm."

"Maybe not today," she called.

"Certainly not."

She tilted her head back, trying to see if Rosalie was gone yet. "Maybe not tomorrow."

"Doubtful," her reply was distant.

"But someday!"

When she looked back up at the house, she flinched at Alice leaning out the window. The pixie had an amused smile on her face, hands on the sill she was leaning against, ink black spikes hanging beautifully in her face. "Did you really think you could sneak out of a house full of vampires?"

"Think? No. Hoped, more like," Bella replied. Nostalgia burned at the edges and she couldn't believe how vastly her life had changed in such a short amount of time.

Alice's smile brightened, her eyes happy. "That's one of my most fond memories," she said softly, her voice tinged with warmth. She hummed, looking around the yard, and back again. "You're terrible at sneaking, by the way. We could hear you cursing as you climbed out the window. The thud of your landing was quite audible, as well."

"And yet still nobody caught me," Bella huffed.

"I support you in all things, Bella. If you want to be a stubborn ass and climb out a window, I won't stop you."

Bella's eyes narrowed up at the cheeky pixie, her lips pursed. "I don't understand how I feel good _and_ bad about that."

"It's a gift," Alice shrugged. "One of many."

Before Bella could even form her response, Alice suddenly swung her legs over the sill. More graceful than a cat, she slipped out the window, silently gliding through the air, and landed above Bella. Cute boots with those _fucking bows too_ , landed on either side of her, Alice crouching to touch one knee down in the snow. She leaned down closer to flash Bella a perfect smile, her hair not even ruffled.

Bella's mouth fell open. " _Ho-ot,"_ she sang under her breath.

"I know."

She laughed, eyes crinkling in happiness. "Minx." Alice just grinned back at her, the two staring at each other fondly. Chilly fingers reached down to brush Bella's hair behind her ear, tracing her jaw, her lower lip, down her chin, golden eyes following the path soon after with awed reverence. "If I told you I was falling, would you catch me?"

The question was whispered to her, quiet and anxious, Bella's heart pounding like a war drum in the background. Alice felt her eyes sting and blinked heavily. "Always," she promised emphatically.

"Obviously fucking not, I'm laying in Esme's frozen flower bush as we speak!"

Alice guffawed, dropping down to her other knee as well, straddling Bella's hips. The serious, exhilarating, and tense moment was exchanged for a more lighthearted one that Bella could handle. Alice was nothing, if not patient. Especially when it came to her mate. "Yeah," she nodded, looking around them, "you're probably going to be replanting these with her in the spring as punishment."

"Twice the victim," Bella clutched at her heart in sorrow.

"Could be worse," Alice laughed. Her eyes danced with humour and affection and something else, something old and new, something quiet but strong, something that Bella knew the pixie would find in _her_ gaze, if only she could see it. "She makes Emmett wash all the windows at a human pace when he breaks things."

Turning her head, Bella glanced at the house. "You have many windows," she murmured.

"One of which you're intimately familiar with, having fallen out of."

She sighed, hands on Alice's thighs. "I'm never gonna live that down, am I?"

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

The sudden stop kicked up a cloud of snow around them and as it shot up and fell down through the air, Bella felt like she was in a snowglobe. She was already laughing but almost choked at a fresh new string of laughter when she realized that the snow wasn't so much as kicked up around them, as it was from an exploded snowman her friend ruthlessly destroyed at their arrival.

Jessica grinned, her hands hooked under Bella's knees, warm arms locked around her shoulders and neck. "That's what Emmett gets for being obnoxious and putting inappropriately detailed breasts on his snowman," she said around her own chuckles. She turned her head to the side, Bella's wind-kissed face pink and open and so much happier than Jess was used to seeing. "How are you doing, spidermonkey?"

"That was amazing!" Bella crooned, throwing one of her fists into the air. "We were going so fast, you're so _fast_! I don't think I've ever moved that fast before, and I'm _positive_ I left my stomach up on that cliff. Holy shit. Holy _shit_ , dude. That was so much fun, why are we not doing this every day?"

The vampire laughed, strolling at a more leisurely pace this time, as she made for the door. She knew the others were inside waiting for them, about to start the monthly Cullen Boardgame Tournaments. Victoria had been relentless in her texts to hurry up and bring the human home already. "Some of us do, but I'll keep it in mind next time I go for a run."

"Uh yeah, do that," Bella said with a scoff. She found it unbelievable that she hadn't ever gone running with one of the vampires until now. She was going to have words with Alice and Emmett, very loud words. Inside the house, Bella shrugged out of her coat and rolled up her sleeves. She rubbed her hands together and followed Jessica towards the living room. "Alright, so I'm led to believe that this game night is kinda important."

Almost colliding with a walking wall, Bella looked up and took a large step backwards. Wensley stared down at her with never ending black eyes, his marble face carved into perfect indifference, with the barest hint of annoyance. He made a point of smoothing down his vest and straightening his tie before glancing up to his mate. And then Bella almost passed out in shock when she saw his frown melt into a smile, small and genuine. Those hard eyes flicker and change, bright golden and full of awe. "My love," he murmured and leaned down to press a quick kiss on Jess's lips.

Victoria turned the corner then, entering the living room with the others as well. She wrapped her arm around Bella's shoulders and guided her towards the loveseat that Alice and Jasper were sat in, cramming the two of themselves down as well. "It's game week, actually, and yes, we take it very seriously. Carlisle and I are still reigning champions from last month."

"Oh good, there are teams?"

The redhead nodded. She relaxed back into the cushions to reach behind Bella and Alice, resting her hand on Jasper's shoulder to play with the hair at the nape of his neck. "Indeed. Carlisle and I are a team, Jasper and Alice, Esme and Emmett, Wensley and Jess, and Rosalie with Edward."

"We call them team Sass-A-Frass," Emmett supplied helpfully from the floor on the other side of the large table everyone sat around. Esme had brought a dining room chair to sit in, and Bella could see the smirk on her face. She glanced to the left to see Edward roll his eyes while Rosalie scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "Now, Esme and I called dibs on you, Boo, but you're allowed to sit over there with Alice."

The pixie beside her placed her hand on Bella's knee while she pouted. "What? I didn't know we could call dibs, when did you call dibs? I demand a re-dibbing."

"Too bad." Emmett stuck his tongue out at her.

"Esme!" Alice whined.

The motherly vampire lifted a single shoulder in a shrug. She glanced at Emmett who nodded encouragingly, and back to Alice with an awkward look on her face. "I'm to inform you that 'you snooze, you lose', dear. Sorry."

A few snickers broke out across the room and while Alice tried to look offended and scandalized, she mostly looked amused. Jasper chuckled and shook his head, scooting closer towards the table as he lifted a box from underneath. "Okay, the first game of the week is Jessica's pick, _Jenga."_

"Mega Jenga," Jess corrected. She also scooted forward on her chair and helped empty the box, setting up the pieces in a fast, blurry motion. "It's bigger, taller, and more intense than regular Jenga. We play this elimination style, and the final round between the last two teams is sudden death. Blindfolds will be handed out at that time. Until then, everyone play fair, keep the taunting friendly, and let's get this show on the road!"

And thus Cullen Game Night began.

The sheer amount of competition was astounding, overwhelming, and more than Bella could have anticipated. The utter commitment and focus these vampires had to their teams, to the game, it was... ridiculous, hilarious, and Bella's heart felt full and warm. This was where she belonged, she could _feel_ it, right there sandwiched between Victoria and Alice, watching that family go gung-ho for Jenga, of all things.

Of course, the first team to be eliminated was Bella's, because of Bella, and she felt mortified. Watching the jumbo tower of wooden rectangles collapse felt much the same as watching the Roman empire crumble before her eyes. The room fell quiet, Bella's mouth hanging open, pieces bouncing on the table, off each other, all in slow motion. Across the table, she watched golden eyes widen in disbelief. "Bella!" Emmett screamed. He shot up to his feet, hands in his hair. Bella's heart thudded in her chest. He looked around the room and took a deep breath. "You're perfect, don't ever change."

With that, he sat down again. Esme's hand found his broad shoulder and patted soothingly. Bella let out the breath she'd been holding, looking beside her at Victoria who was smirking at the giant. As if she could feel her stare, the redhead turned to Bella. "Emmett cannot control his outbursts, but we've allowed him to have them, so long as he follows them with a compliment."

"Sorry, Emmett," Bella muttered sheepishly.

The boy twitched, his smile too big, too bright. "I _cannot believe_ – that..." he swallowed heavily, "t-shirts and suspenders look so good on you. Rock on."

"Alright." Bella inched back on the loveseat, listening to Alice giggle beside her, and leaned into the pixie's side again.

One by one, each time fell after that. When Jessica let loose a screech of disbelief and frustration, Bella hid her laugh behind her glass of pop. Victoria's teasing laughter was cut short into a strangled noise in her throat when Carlisle caused the next collapse. True to their form, Edward and Rosalie let out the most cutting, sarcastic, sassy remarks all through the game.

It was when Jasper, blindfolded, pulled the wrong block out that Bella would later wish she got up to use the bathroom. He let out a hiss just before the tower fell sideways, ripping off the blindfold to witness his loss. Alice was already laughing, surprisingly the most gracious loser in the room, when a block flew sideways and knocked Bella's drink over.

The pop went everywhere, Bella trying to catch her cup and save the table. Too slow, too clumsy, she only caught a handful of the soda. Alice was up and blurring to the kitchen with Carlisle, back in the blink of an eye. "Sorry, Bella! We're not used to playing around food and beverages," she apologized.

"No, no, _I'm_ sorry!" Bella groaned, trying to help but also trying not to move and flick pop everywhere. "I should have been holding my glass or better prepared."

Alice's hands sped over Bella's, unclasping the buttons on her leather wristbands. "Here, these are going to get all sticky, let me rinse them quickly."

"No!" Bella shrieked and gasped, all at once. But it was too late, they were already off and in Alice's hands. Everyone's motions stilled, the noise of the room fading into a deafening silence. Bella stared down at her wrists, like she knew everyone else was, eyes tracing the matching scars. Two raised two-inch perpendicular lines to her wrists. Pale and oh so painfully straight. Literally. Slowly, she turned her hands over, palms resting on the surface of the table. She still didn't dare look up. "Look, it's... just. Just don't tell Charlie."

"What?!" Jessica asked.

Bella flinched at Alice's incredulous voice, "He doesn't know?!"

"Nobody does," Bella said defensively. "I made Renee promise not to tell."

This time it was Esme's appalled voice. " _What?!"_

Face morphing into a scowl, Bella felt her pulse quicken. She sucked in a jagged breath and shrugged her shoulders, glaring down at the table. "She stuck me in the psych ward for _eight months_ so she owed me. Kinda." Her shoulders heaved a sigh, posture drooping. "I mean, she stayed with me the entire time, refused to leave my side until I was 'mentally healthy' or whatever, but still. I made her promise."

"How could she agree to that?" Esme asked in a tight voice. "Your father has a right to know."

"She didn't, not at first, but I wore her down."

Alice's hand touched Bella's shoulder but she pulled it back quickly when Bella flinched again. "Why?"

"I _am_ okay now." Bella finally looked up, around the room quickly. She offered a small, sheepish smile. "There's nothing anybody can do about it now and it would just make Charlie sad." Pausing, her head tilted to the side and a playful smirk tugged her lips up. "As you can see, sad is dangerous for this family."

Jessica scowled, arms crossed over her chest. "Not funny."

"Ehh. Perspective."

"Bella!" she gasped.

" _Jessica,"_ Bella mocked teasingly.

Alice sat back down, pressed against Bella's side. She rested her hand on the human's forearm, wrapping her free arm around Bella's waist and holding tight. "Why?"

"You don't live my life and come out unscathed," Bella answered quietly, simply. Resigned and patient. She turned her head to meet Alice's worried and heartbroken gaze. "I'm sorry, you just don't, that's not how it works. Look, Alice, I really am better now. If I knew then what I know now, I _never_ would have tried. I regretted it thirty seconds in, that's why I screamed for Renee. Longest thirty seconds of my life."

"Bella-"

With a short, semi-awkward laugh, Bella shook her head. She pulled Alice into a hug, squeezing her tightly, and rested her chin on a stony shoulder. "I don't want to talk about it, Alice. I'm okay now, I'm _good_ , please believe me."

"I do, but-"

Esme was there, hand on Bella's back and Alice's back. "Alice, leave her be. If she ever wants to talk about it, she knows she can come to any of us. Until then, we respect her wishes. Please, let me rinse these, Bella, and I'll give them right back. Know, however, that you _never_ need to hide any part of yourself around us."

"I – okay."

Game Night came to an end shortly after that, and Bella felt terrible for spoiling Edward and Rosalie's victory. She helped Emmett and Esme clean up the game, as the first losers, and kept the motherly woman company while she washed Bella's dishes. All in silence. A silence that Bella knew should have been awkward, _would_ have been uncomfortable with anyone else, or just a few short months ago. As it was, Bella felt safe, appreciated, never judged, and content when she was under the Cullen roof.

Most of the others had wandered off at some point or another, disappearing until it was just Esme and Bella on the first level. Even Alice, who had been so reluctant to leave the girl's side, was gone. Bella sat at the kitchen island, sipping at the hot cocoa Esme had made her, while the matriarch hand-dried the dishes.

The sun had long since set, the night quiet and still. The only light on the first floor was a lamp in the living room, and the small ceiling bulb hanging over the island above Bella's head. Out the patio door, she could see snowflakes catch the light and fall to the ground, adding to the ever-growing blanket of white.

Tranquil. She hadn't felt tranquil in... ever, actually.

Esme leaned against the island, reaching out to top off Bella's mug with fresh, steaming cocoa. "I never wanted kids, growing up," she said as she poured, eyes trained on the liquid. Bella looked up at her curiously, surprised. Everything about this woman screamed _mom._ "In fact, I was affronted every time someone asked me when I was going to start pushing out babies. Like that was all a woman was good for, like that would ever be my only purpose in life."

"I feel that," Bella agreed quietly.

"It's definitely a more common viewpoint these days," Esme agreed with a hum and a smile. "I'm happy to see that. Everyone deserves the chance, the opportunity to choose their own destiny, their own purpose in life. Back when I was human, the notion that a woman could choose much of anything, it was met with laughter or rage."

She sat down on the stool across from Bella, elbows propped up on the counter, chin in her hands. A smile slid onto her face, wistful and fond, albeit a tad haunted. "I wanted to change that. I wanted to change the world, Bella. It got me into quite a bit of trouble, as a matter of fact, it led me to Carlisle. The first time I broke my leg, it was from falling out of a tree. A tree that I climbed up, to hide from the police."

"What?" Bella gasped with a laugh.

Esme nodded, eyes mischievous. "I was no Joan of Arc, no Susan B. Anthony. I did, however, rally a group of fellow girls to, one night, cover every male statue in town with a dress. Frilly, lacy, pink and blue dresses."

"Oh my _god."_

"And I, perhaps, took things just slightly too far by breaking into the Mayor's home to dye all of his blazers hot pink."

Bella's shoulders slumped in disappointment. "Ah, man, I thought it was gonna be something badass."

"Hey now," Esme chided with a laugh, tapping the back of Bella's hand. "Dying fabric back then was no easy feat, alright? It takes time and effort. So much time, in fact, that the sun came up and I was caught. Caught and chased all the way out of town, up in a tree to hide from my pursuers."

"Where you fell, broke your leg, and were taken to the hospital that Carlisle was working at, at the time?"

The vampire nodded. "Indeed. I had many fun, rebellious years. Some day I will have to sit down and tell you more of them."

"That's wild," Bella murmured thoughtfully, staring at the woman before her. "It's hard to imagine you young, human, and not a mom."

Esme's smile faded at the corners, her eyes distant. It wasn't sour, but Bella suddenly had a sour feeling in her gut. Bittersweet, it looked bittersweet. "I was so busy being offended at the mere thought of having a child that when I discovered I was pregnant, I... my whole world turned upside down.

"I still thought it wasn't right that women were basically being used as biological factories to mass produce people, but mine, my own baby, it was different. It's a funny thing, how much you can love something that a month or two ago didn't even exist. But I did, Bella, I loved my baby so fiercely, so completely, that it became my sole purpose in life. I contradicted my younger self, I _devoted_ myself to my baby, willingly, happily. Not because society demanded it of me, but because that tiny little fetus had captured all of my heart and all of my love."

Bella's fingers were wrapped so tightly around the mug that the tips were going white. She'd never seen Esme so still before, so closed off.

"I discovered my destiny, and I cannot properly express the sense of fulfilment. Of wholeness, completion. Everything felt _right,_ felt _good_ , because I was a mom. That's what I was, down to my very core being, and I _knew_ it." Esme smiled, small and sad, and Bella couldn't breathe. Couldn't breathe but couldn't leave, couldn't look away. Was trapped in a moment she knew the ending to, but would never leave Esme behind in it. They would come out the other side together, or not at all. The vampire blinked a few times, eyes full of tears that would never fall. "And then my baby died."

"No..." Bella felt herself say, felt herself droop and shudder and tremble, felt the sobs trying to work their way up her throat. Felt her chest constrict painfully as it struggled to cry, but knew it wouldn't, because Bella Swan did not cry. Not anymore.

Esme's hands clasped together on the island, slowly, gently. "Everything did not feel right, did not feel good. I was no longer a mom. My destiny was taken from me, my baby was taken from me, my heart, my love. I had nothing, I was no one, and the pain..."

"Wouldn't stop," Bella finished quietly. "No matter what you did, no matter where you went, the pain was there. Always there, waiting for you at every turn, every moment, without reprieve. Relentless and never ending, unless you ended it. Unless you _made_ it stop. So you did."

"I tried," Esme nodded. Her distant face had melted away into concern and she was there, present in the moment, leaning forward to hold one of Bella's hands. "Bella-"

The girl yanked her hands back quickly, as if she'd been burned, and cleared her throat. She stared down into her cup before pushing back from the island. "I don't want to talk about it."

"I understand."

She nodded, looking up at Esme with a heartbroken face. "I know you do." Bella could not stop her feet from turning to leave, her body feeling robotic and stiff. "How long did it take before you were able to talk about it?"

"The body heals faster than the soul," Esme told Bella's rigid back. "I promise you that I will be here when you're ready to talk."

 **.**

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 **ARE Y'ALL OUT OF YOUR DAMN MINDS?! Why the fuck would Bella tell Alice about Leah?! "Oh, hey, Ali. Guess what. This girl I used to know when we were kids, yeah she grew up and got _super_ hot. The better news? She's says _we're connected on another level_ , isn't that great?" There is literally nothing Alice can do about that situation because she can't go down to the Res and I don't see Leah going to Forks? And if they did... so? That would only create more problems for Bella, would do no good for either other girls, and probably hurt Alice. **

**Bunch'a wackadoos... "can't wait for her to tell Alice"... pffft. Y'all are cruel to my pixie. Don't get me wrong, I love each and every one of you, but my god. Let's keep the needless emotional torture to a minimum, shall we?**

 **But yeah, I just don't see this Bella being all "a super hot girl likes me, Alice." Like, what's the point.**

 **Anywhoo, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I know it got dark halfway through there and I would explain my reasoning but I don't wanna fuckin' talk about it so I'm not gonna.**

 **peace**

 **Paige.**


	20. Chapter 20

**CULLEN FAMILY** : Esme and Carlisle. Rosalie and Emmett. Jasper and Victoria. Edward. Alice. Wensley and Jessica.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Twilight.

 **Rated:** T.

 **Author:** xPaige Turnerx

 **Summary:** COMPLETED AND WAITING TO POST. "Trust me, dating a vampire and having a wolf for a brother are the LEAST complicated aspects of my life. Every now and then my nose reenacts the elevator scene from The Shining, and I randomly wake up in the woods. Normal was shot to Hell a long time ago."

" _At the center of your being_

 _you have the answer;_

 _you know who you are_

 _you know what you want."_

 _-Lao Tzu_

Six pairs of eyes awkwardly met and flitted away, down to their shoes, to another set of eyes, to the corner of the room. The very, very quiet room. The Awkward Room of Hell, as Bella dubbed it. She could hear the ticking of the clock on the wall in the kitchen, the quieter ticking of Alice's wristwatch beside her. Jacob's thundering heart on her other side.

The silence stretched on and with it, her sanity waned. The thought had her snorting quietly to herself. _Sanity. Puh. Check your sanity at the door, you don't get out of this situation sane. And if you think you can... that's just crazy._

Vampires, shapeshifters, whatever the fuck she was, whatever the fuck Leah was. These were not the elements of a stable, logical, _reasonable_ life. It was something out of a dream, or perhaps a nightmare. She couldn't always tell which.

Someone cleared their throat and everyone glanced up to watch Charlie get to his feet. "Alright, you kids are making me uncomfortable. I'm going down to the Res to see your old man, Jake." He scratched the back of his neck, inching towards the front door. "You guys have fun... or try to. Good luck."

"Coward!" Bella called as the door swung shut. She could hear his muffled bark of laughter and huffed, rolling her eyes. The others in the room stared at her and she grinned sheepishly. "Well, this is great. I mean... it's about time we all got together."

Huddled together across the room, Mike and Lauren looked at her like she'd ripped off her own face and asked them to do the same. Beside her, Alice sat as still as a statue and Bella hadn't once seen her blink since stepping foot into the living room. She was... extra vampy today, but that probably had something to do with the last occupant of the room. Jake, on her other side, trying to control the little trembles running through his body, the smile on his face more of a grimace.

Bella popped her lips together a few times, hands on her knees, squeezing tight. "It just feels so good," she said in a tight voice. Her fingers tapped on her jeans and she chanced a glance around. "School's pretty shitty, eh? How's... how's that going for you all?"

"Shitty," Lauren agreed quietly.

Mike nodded. "Can't complain."

When she looked to her right, Jake shrugged his large shoulders and both girls on the couch with him bounced. "Don't care to go that much, got more important stuff on my plate."

"It's going well, for me too," Alice murmured quietly. Her smile was strained, black eyes looking up at Bella. "Jessica mentioned that you were sent to the principal's office again yesterday?"

The blondes across the room snickered and Bella's shoulders fell. "It wasn't my fault! A bird hit the window, and what am I supposed to do, just leave it to die?"

"You screamed, leapt out of your desk, jimmied the top window in the classroom open, and sprawled out to go give the bird mini CPR, Bella," Mike laughed. He made the motions as he told the room, bit by bit, what happened. "And then she skipped the rest of the class to run home and get a shoebox to, what, make a little infirmary for the raven?"

"I-" Bella's jaw slammed shut, her cheeks burning with embarrassment. "Not an infirmary, I just... where is it supposed to rest and sleep, Mike? My fucking hands? Birds are dirty."

"You gave it the kiss of life!"

"It was dying, you son of a bitch!"

He roared with laughter, holding his gut and throwing his head back. Even Lauren cracked a smile, green eyes dancing with humour. "It was a little ridiculous watching you wiggle out the window, Bella."

"Again with the windows, my sweet?" Alice leaned close to whisper in her ear. She pressed a kiss against Bella's cheek and the girl could feel Alice's smile. "What is it with you and birds?"

Bella slumped against her girlfriend's side, lips pointing down in a pout. "I honestly have no clue."

"Bella's always been weird when it comes to animals," Jake waved off casually. The others in the room gave him a curious look, each one having their own theories about their friend. Even Bella looked at him with confusion and he nodded. "Yeah, remember that summer that you got lost in the woods? I was... hmm, pretty sure I was four or five, so you were five or six."

She shook her head, a thoughtful look on her face. "No, the headaches made everything... hazy back then. To be honest, until I got back here, I could barely remember you."

"Well fuck you too, I feel the love," he laughed, "but yeah. You and your dad came over, we were playing in the back yard. The treeline starts at the end of the big field behind my house, and we were always told that was the limit. Couldn't go back there, but we could play in the field all we wanted."

"Let me guess, you two free spirits were looking for an adventure," Mike mused with a grin.

The shifter frowned, glancing down at Bella, and back to the room. "No. The forest was always spooky, Bella didn't like going in there. Never strayed from the path to the cliffs where we used to go diving. Said she saw stuff in there, stuff that shouldn't be in there. You really don't remember this?"

"The creepy-ass intro to a horror movie? Hell no, I don't remember."

His frown deepened. "I always thought you were just messing around, trying to freak me out. Scare the little kid, like you did with the others. I didn't... I never considered you were actually scared, that you were telling the truth. Bella, you told me about some really messed up shit in those woods."

"This took an unexpected, chilling turn," Lauren muttered with a scowl. She tucked herself closer into Mike's side, slapping his hand when he tried to pat her thigh reassuringly. "Not chilling enough to warrant fear-sex, Michael. Keep your mitts to yourself."

"I didn't!" he laughed and spluttered, shaking his head with wide eyes. He made a point of stuffing his hands into his pockets, to keep them from her, and turned back to the others. "So what happened, I assume you ended up in the woods anyway."

Jake nodded. "Yup. Bella said she heard a baby crying and that we had to go help. I, innocent that I was, thought she was trying to start a game of Medival Knights and was just making up some grand quest for us to take. Off we went, nary a thought for the very real mortal danger we could have been in, and ventured deeper into the woods than we'd ever been before."

"Fuck off, this isn't a campfire tale," Bella laughed with a scoff. "Are you being serious right now? I don't remember _any_ of this, did this really happen?"

His dark eyes widened, an insulted look on his face. "Yes, brother! I would not lie to you, not about this. Come on, maybe it'll jog your memory and you can finally tell me what happened that day. We got separated for almost twenty minutes and when you found me again, you were covered in dirt and, with what I know now, can only assume was some kind of blue blood?"

"You're a liar!" Bella huffed, pointing an accusing finger up at him. "There's no way this is true. I would remember something like this. Blue blood, are you seriously trying to pass that off as real? No way."

Alice tapped Bella's thigh, gaining her attention. "Technically blood _is_ blue until it reacts with oxygen and becomes red, and you _did_ say your childhood is hazy. If you could forget your brother, of all things, I don't find it difficult to believe you could forget something this grand."

"And you have visions of the future!" Lauren pointed out helpfully. She studied the pixie and smirked. "Which you seem to have filled those two in on already. So, as I've read, weird shit happens to weird people and, honey, I don't know _anyone_ weirder than you. On with the story, Jacob."

The shifter studied each face watching him closely and nodded slowly. "Right, okay. So twenty minutes of me sucking on my thumb and fighting back tears goes by. I'm deep in the woods, completely lost, and there's goddamn _fog_ creeping in over the ground like some kind of movie. I'm two seconds away from screaming for my dad when _BAM!_ Bella knocks me over.

"The girl's got blood running down her nose, but by now I'm used to that. Her headaches are bad, have her curling up in a ball and crying every hour or so. She's obviously having another one, a bad one, but she's not crying. Her eyes are wide and petrified, she's more pale than normal, and _shaking._ Muttering about, fuck, what was it... something about the Mirrored Forest and-and don't look at your reflection, _don't lock eyes with your reflection, Jake_.

"This does not help the screaming situation. I want to scream even more now, I want to sit down, hug my knees, and _wail_ for my father. I'm about to do just that when Bella's dirty little hand covers my mouth and she _shakes_ me, tells me not to make a sound, that it will hear us."

Mike's hand didn't reach for Lauren's thigh this time, instead clutching her own hand tightly. They huddled closer, listening intently with wide eyes. "What the heck..." he whispered.

Meanwhile, Bella's head tilted to the side, staring down at the floor as vague memories try to surface. She could remember the woods, leaves and twigs crunching under her shoes, telling herself to keep looking down at her feet, don't look up from her feet. Find Jake and run back to the house but _do not look up from your feet, Little One._

She shook her head, eyebrows pinched together as she squeezed her eyes shut tight. The memory was there, right on the very tip of her brain, she could feel it but she couldn't quite reach it. " _Do not look up from your feet, Little One."_

Who said that? Such a deep, rumbling voice. The kind of voice that could only ever come from a mountain; large, strong, quaking with power.

Do not look up from your feet, Little One.

"Fucking hell," she grumbled, blinking a few times to look up at Jake. "I can't remember."

Chewing on his lip, he reached out to roughly pat her shoulder. "I figured. You seemed pretty confused, pretty out of it. Seemed like every other step you were shoving us into trees and waiting for something, but every time I tried to look, you shoved my head down. I remember the hooves though."

"Hooves?" Alice questioned. She was truly expecting some story of how birds came to their rescue. A tad ridiculous, because... _birds._ But a horse? In the middle of the woods?

Still, the shifter nodded. "Yeah. I could see the hoofprints, we were walking in them, and I could hear its powerful lungs. Doing that thing where they smack their lips. The swish of its tail. It led us through the woods and back to the field. Every time we stopped, every time Bella fell down next to me and squeezed me tightly to her, it was there, standing over us, right there in the corner of my eye."

"That's it?" Lauren asked incredulously when he didn't continue. She leaned forward. "No more? It just led you back through the woods to your house. You don't know what she saw, you didn't think to mention Mirrored Forest or creepy crying babies to your parents?"

Jake shrugged, looking down at Bella. "I thought she was messing with me. The horse was kinda weird, but there are all kinds of animals in the woods. I figured it had gotten loose from one of the farms nearby and was just as lost as us. Bella didn't say another word that day, and her headaches got worse, so Charlie took her home. She didn't mention that day ever again."

The others all looked to the girl in question, eyes narrowed in thought, scrutinizing her. She shifted in her seat, only Alice's reassuring touch keeping her there. "Don't look at me, I have no idea what he's talking about. I can't... I can't remember any of that. I'm not totally convinced _he_ isn't making it up."

"I swear I'm not!" Jake said earnestly.

Alice frowned, pulling Bella closer to her until she was laying back against the pixie. "I've been all over the woods on this side, and I've never come across anything... weird." She quickly looked over to the humans in the room and flashed them a charming smile. "My family likes to hike."

"Uh, yeah," Jake agreed. "Me and a bunch of the boys like to... to hike, too. And we've never seen anything out of the ordinary on our side." He paused, brows furrowing as his head tilted to the side. "Although... if I think about it... yeah, we took that sharp curve around... I _think_ maybe, possibly, Bella and I crossed onto the border when we were kids."

This caught the vampire's interest, who perked up. At Bella's curious look, she quickly explained. "The border between Forks and La Push is no mere line. After some confusion long ago, we had to widen it so nobody could accidentally cross onto another's territory."

"Um-"

Lauren quickly dug her elbow into Mike's gut, stopping him from bringing attention to them. She watched on with rapt attention.

"How wide is it?" Bella asked.

Alice glanced to Jake and shrugged her shoulders. "Not terribly wide, maybe that of a football field, but it _is_ a chunk of the forest, as it cuts right through the middle. A chunk of the forest that neither side is at all familiar with anymore."

"So, what, you're saying that..." Bella sat up straighter again and looked between the two. She didn't know whether to scoff or shudder. "That there could be something _hiding_ along the border?"

Cautious of human ears, Jake leaned closer towards his brother and the vampire. "That actually makes a certain amount of sense."

"Yes!" Alice agreed just as quietly. "The last time we were here, we had issues with two different nomads, six years apart. We chased them into La Push but the previous pack _swore_ they chased them into Forks again. We figured they ran the length of the border and escaped outside of our land, but we couldn't pick up any scents at either end of the border."

He nodded vigorously while Lauren tried to lean forward more as discreetly as she could. She couldn't quite make out their muttering. "Earlier this year there was another one. We chased them to the border, saw them cross, and lost track of them through the trees. None of you ever mentioned them, but we figured you took care of them."

"We never saw anyone," Alice said slowly. "No scents, either. If vampires are just... disappearing between our territories, that means-"

"There's something in the border," Jake finished grimly.

Her grip on Bella tightened, nearly to the point of pain for the younger girl. "Something that can kill vampires, something unaffected by my visions, something Edward has never heard, something Jasper has never felt, something none of us can _smell._ "

"Okay, you're both freaking me out now," Bella said loudly, with an anxious laugh. "Probably not a story that needed to be told just as the sun is setting, hm?" She aimed a glare that could not be seen at her brother. "I choose to believe, personally, that I was just as twisted as a kid and got my kicks scaring the bejeezus outta Jake. There was a horse because horses are animals and animals can be wild and wild animals belong in the forest. _People_ disappear in the border because the border runs through the woods and the woods are confusing as fuck and easy to get lost in, even for _special_ people." She clapped her hands together, dusting them off with a smirk. "Boom. Logic'd. Next question."

Easing back into her seat, Lauren regarded the room curiously, skeptically, with a critical eye. She held up her finger. "I have a question."

"No, you don't," Bella was already getting up to scan the DVD collection along the far wall, "nobody has any questions. This is a regular, normal evening between regular, normal people, who are gonna watch a regular, normal movie."

Mike's face lit up as he joined Bella. "Oooh! Van Helsing!"

"Fucking _no_ , Mike! What did I just say? Sit yo' ass down," she hissed and shoved him back into the couch.

The blonde sunk into the cushions with a pout. He glanced about the room that was slowly falling into a tense silence again and struggled to think of something that would keep things light. "Well if you're shooting for normal, we could talk about the Snow Ball at the end of the week."

Jake snorted. "The Snow Ball? Sounds lame."

"It is," Lauren agreed. "A dumb _winter_ themed dance to kick off Christmas break. People get obsessed; about the dresses, the suits, the limos, the _elegant decor_ in a goddamn gymnasium. It's stupid."

Sixth sense tingling, Bella slowly looked over her shoulder. Her eyes met Alice's widening golden ones, watching the excited grin on the pixie's face grow, and grow, and grow. Bella slowly shook her head. "No... no, Alice, before you get any ideas, _no_. I don't _do_ school dances."

"Bella... please? For me?"

Those eyes got even bigger, the smile morphing into a pout, and Bella new the beginning signs of Puppy Dog Eyes when she saw them. "Mother-"

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 **WaxnWane, I feel ya. I, too, am fighting my crush on every female character. Except for Alice, I wholeheartedly support that crush. But the rest, as I'm writing their interactions, I'm like "fuckin' hell, there's something here. Keep it platonic, keep it platonic. Damn, that ain't strictly platonic."**

 **KryptoniteGuest, you GOT IT. More scenes with the ladies coming up!**

 **Firenubs, hoo-hoo! Bella telling Alice on purpose, and Bella getting caught having _not_ told Alice, are two very different things. One of which I have some plans for. **

**Procrastination-Addict, I'm watchin' you again. You are always _so, so_ close. And totally on the marker, occassionally. One of your speculations is correct. Not tellin' which. **

**Aryalyn, Kurojistou, izobelle, and merlinsc, I appreciate you guys consistently reviewing. Means a lot to me.**

 **peace**

 **Paige**


	21. Chapter 21

**CULLEN FAMILY** : Esme and Carlisle. Rosalie and Emmett. Jasper and Victoria. Edward. Alice. Wensley and Jessica.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Twilight.

 **Rated:** T.

 **Author:** xPaige Turnerx

 **Summary:** COMPLETED AND WAITING TO POST. "Trust me, dating a vampire and having a wolf for a brother are the LEAST complicated aspects of my life. Every now and then my nose reenacts the elevator scene from The Shining, and I randomly wake up in the woods. Normal was shot to Hell a long time ago."

" _At the center of your being_

 _you have the answer;_

 _you know who you are_

 _you know what you want."_

 _-Lao Tzu_

"-fucker!" she groaned into the bathroom mirror. "I'm going to _eviscerate_ Newton, his own mother won't recognize him when I'm done, I'm gonna kick his ass up and down the halls tonight."

The vampire perched on the edge of her tub hummed, looking up at her with bright amber eyes. "I think you look very dashing," he said with a crooked smile. He stood up, looking extra lanky tonight, his hair just a little _too_ gravity-defying. And more red than normal, if she looked close enough. His pale fingers reached out to adjust her tie, gentle and careful not to tug too hard. Always careful with her. "Do your eyes match the colour tonight?"

"What does it matter? Nobody's gonna see 'em," Bella muttered towards his neck. Was he wearing platforms?

Edward shrugged, lowering his hands to assess his work, and nodded. "No, but you are in the unique position to be completely colour coordinated." He clicked his tongue, a slight frown on his lips. "I wish you'd have let me take you shopping for a proper suit."

"Hell to the nah, dude," she harrumphed and turned to look in the mirror again. The sneakers were, perhaps going a little too far, but if Alice wanted to dance then Bella needed to be able to _walk, damn it!_ The rest, however, she was pretty impressed with herself. The nicest pair of black jeans she owned that only had _one_ little rip in the back left pocket, a freshly pressed black button up, Esme's suspenders (more and more showed up each day, all different colours and designs and the woman wasn't kidding when she said she loved them), and a matching silver vest and tie.

The most impressive part? Her mothing- _friggin'_ -hair that she spent two hours on Skype with Renee to get just right. Fuck Pinterest for making it all look so easy, but after dozens of agonizing attempts, curses she could not reign in even for her mother, Bella had done it. She had her hair in one of those _fucking_ braid crowns, with the rest left in loose curls hanging down her back.

Holding up his hands, the vampire conceded and bowed as he left the bathroom. "Well it's too late now anyway, but I do have _something_ for you. Don't give me any lip, it was just a small, tiny little thing. A single stop at," he sighed dramatically, "Footlocker, so you needn't even consider it a gift. I, in fact, feel bad about even giving them to you, they're the most embarrassing gift I've ever given."

"...Thanks?"

He rolled his eyes but flashed her a smile before disappearing into her room. She didn't have time to question when and _how_ he stashed a gift for her in there without her knowledge. In the blink of an eye, he was back with a shoebox. "Alice loves dancing, so I would not thank me just yet."

"Oh." Inside the box was a pair of perfectly silver converse. A pair Bella had seen before but never purchase because who wears silver shoes? She does, apparently. The things she did for Alice... "Thank you, Edward. I – wait, just how much dancing are we talking about here?" She ducked to pull on the shoes, coming back up quickly. "Oop, can't breathe."

With another, fonder, roll of his eyes, Edward's fingers blurred up her vest, leaving it hanging open. "You have to unbutton it when you sit or bend over, but perhaps consider leaving it open. You look more... Bella-y with it open."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Edward laughed, hooking their arms together when she got the shoes on, and led her towards the stairs. "Oh nothing, Miss Jeans To A Ball."

"I don't want to goooo!" she whined. A flash of light had her stumbling down the last step, Edward's arm the only thing keeping her from breaking her neck. "Oh goodie, I'm blind and can't go. My prayers have been answered."

Charlie wound up the disposable camera again. "That was a good one! Right on the staircase, like a real prom deal. Hot damn." The man was officially too giddy to be her father and Bella gave him a weird look. "I don't know if it's weird to say but you two would make a very attractive lesbian couple."

" _Ohmyfuckinggod!"_ Bella snorted into her hands, choking on the air and her laughter as Edward's jaw fell open. She spun around to the boy, scooping up his hands. "Edward, would you do me the honour of being my lesbian life partner?"

The boy frowned deeply and held up a finger. "First of all, I'm pretty sure Alice already claims that role. Secondly, thank you, Chief Swan."

"No problem, kiddo." Charlie shot a finger gun at him and Bella finally realized where she got it from, having a silent _huh_ moment.

"And thirdly," Edward continued, reaching up to touch his bangs. "Is it the hair? It's the hair, isn't it? I knew it was too much."

Bella reached for him as he turned and jogged back up the stairs at a human pace. "Wh-ah, no! Edward, come back! Dad!" she groaned, turning to her father. "I _just_ got him away from the mirror. Ed, your hair looks fine!"

"Fine but not spectacular! Not even great!" Edward called back down to her.

Frowning in concern, Charlie approached the bottom of the stairs to holler up, "You look beautiful, bud! I didn't mean anything by it."

"There go another ten minutes, you happy?" Bella snapped with her hands on her hips. She sighed and sat on the bottom step.

Charlie joined her with a grunt. "I didn't mean to! I tell you that you look like a swamp monster every morning when you come down before getting ready and you never even bat an eyelash."

"Because I don't give a shit." Bella jerked her thumb over her shoulder. "Princess up there spent two _hours_ picking out his cufflinks."

The two listened to the vampire's muffled mutterings in a companionable silence for a few moments. Bella stared down at her new pristine shoes and Charlie patted down his pockets. "This came for ya earlier today, by the way. I didn't look inside, but uh, I have a feeling she's gonna love it."

He held out a thin velvet box with a fancy insignia on the top and Bella immediately knew what it was. She'd been waiting with bated breath since purchasing it and was slightly worried it wouldn't be in time for Christmas. With burning cheeks, she quickly took it and slid it into the inside pocket of her vest. "I was thinking of giving it to her tonight. Surprise her at the dance."

"Sounds like a perfect plan, kiddo," her father agreed quietly. Charlie ducked his head, rubbing the back of his neck, and glanced sideways at his daughter. "Listen, Bella, I just wanted to say that I'm proud of ya. I know... I know your life hasn't been easy and I know you've struggled sometimes. Tough as you are, I see the wear and tear and, ya know, Renee called me every day you couldn't get out of bed. I just, I _see_ you, and I'm so damn proud. Okay? I'm happy you found Alice, I'm happy you're happy, and I just want you to have the best time tonight. Tonight and every other night."

Bella bumped her shoulder against his, staring hard at the front door. "Is this what we do now, what we've become? The emotional, sappy pair?" He let out a chuckle and Bella clenched her jaw tightly. "Look, okay. I, like, love you, or whatever, so there. I'm super thankful to have you in my dumb life, and probably wouldn't have gotten this far without you, or something. Fuck biology, you're my dad, and I wouldn't change it for anything in the world. Let's leave it at that and, Edward, _hurry your ass up, we're late!"_

Perfectly timed, Edward descended the stairs behind them. He offered Bella a sentimental smile, and Charlie a pat on the shoulder. "Okay, okay. We're not going to get any better than this, I suppose. Let's go, Alice said she had some last minute plans and would meet us there."

"Everything okay?" Bella asked quietly.

He nodded and turned to the Chief, just in time for another blinding picture, smirking as Bella cursed under her breath again as she shook her head until she could see. "I promise to have the young lady back at a reasonable time."

"And I promise to be in bed early so I won't notice if she's not," Charlie replied with a cheeky grin. One that melted into a serious look he aimed at his daughter. "I do expect a text by two telling me you're not dead in a ditch though."

"I have vague assurances that it'll be the forest, not the ditch."

While Edward tried to tame his incredulous look, Charlie barked out a laugh and nodded. "A pretty corpse you'll make, bud."

"Not as pretty as this one," Bella jabbed her elbow into the vampire's side, tickled pink at the horrified look on his face, "but we should head out. Have fun doing, I don't know, whatever you do when I'm not here haunting the place."

"It's called relaxing, enjoying life, being happy."

Her brows furrowed, a playful pout on her face. "Har har, you're a funny guy."

"Get outta here," he laughed and all but shoved the two out the door, "go dance with your girl."

Charlie watched as his kid paused just before getting into Edward's volvo and threw her head back to groan towards the sky. "Fuck me, I forgot about the dancing."

The car ride to the school was mostly silent, the two comfortable to sit and listen to music. Edward was kind enough to not mention when Bella started to sway side to side in her seat, humming the Star Wars theme as she watched the headlights catch the falling snow in front of the car as they sped by. Eyes on the tree line by the road for most of the trip, Bella scoured the shadows for anything out of the ordinary. She knew Alice had gone home later that night, after she and the others were done hanging out, and told them about Jake's story. About their theory.

To be honest, she was still having a hard time wrapping her head around it, but the others didn't even bat an eyelash. They took Jake's story at face-value and were on the lookout for, fuck, monsters she supposed. Still, nobody was lining up to actually go searching in the border. Each side stuck to their land, patrolled through it, but kept wary of the border.

She couldn't exactly blame them. Who goes crawling under their bed at night, actively _looking_ for the Boogeyman?

"Do you think there's something in there?" she asked quietly, her eyes still on the trees.

Bella listened to Edward shift in his seat, looking over and out her window. His grip on the steering wheel tightened very slightly. "This is my second time living in Forks. I spent seven years here the first time, and not once did I ever hear or see anything like what the others are speculating," he said calmly. She finally looked back over to him and his stoic face. Amber eyes glanced at her. "But if you're asking me if I believe in monsters? Yes, Bella. I do."

"I share classes with monsters, Edward," Bella said with a thoughtful frown. "And they're as human as it gets. Being different doesn't make you a monster, being inhuman doesn't make you bad."

Edward inclined his head in agreement. "Quite true. However, I would argue that something which tries to lure innocent children into the woods using a baby's cry... is probably not benevolent."

"No, I guess not," she muttered with a shiver.

Pulling into his usual parking spot in the students' section, Edward turned off the car and faced his friend. He offered her a reassuring smile. "You're safe with me, Bella, don't worry."

"I'm not worried," Bella replied and grinned. "Well, not about monsters in the woods. I really can't dance, dude. What if I step on her feet?"

He laughed, taking a quick peek outside, and then blurred around the car to open her door for her. A pale hand was outstretched and waiting. "She's a vampire, she'll be fine."

"You say that now," Bella huffed and took his hand, the night air a pleasant chilly bite on her skin, "but wait until I become a weapon of mass destruction on the dance floor. Taking out innocent casualties in my way, this night is gonna end in an ER waiting room. God, I can't keep meeting Carlisle there, he's _too amused_ each time, I'm pretty sure he laughed last time!" They circled the car, heading towards the gym entrance. "Like I'm the only person who's ever busted their nose running into a tree before, he could have – _sweet baby Jesus, is that Rosalie?!"_

Edward glanced up eagerly, spotting his siblings waiting outside the doors for them. "Ah, yes, Alice convinced the rest of us to attend. Esme and Carlisle are also chaperones, make sure you find them sometime tonight. I'm sure Esme is just _waiting_ to ambush us for pictures." He looked down at her, tugging her forward as she stalled. "Bella?"

"Is it _necessary_ for her to look like a freaking goddess? Like a literal, ethereal goddess from another realm. Who- _who_ does that? Who has a face like that?"

A playful smirk tugged at his lips and he lowered his face, leaning close to whisper in her ear. "Bella... do you, perhaps, have a tiny crush on another sister of mine?"

"What?! God – no, Edward, what the fuck?" Bella whirled around on him like he'd just slapped her, arms flailing around as she shook her head so hard he was surprised she stayed upright. "Of course not, Edward, I'm in-I like, really, truly, deeply like Alice. With my entire heart and soul. She's – she's actually, probably, my soulmate, so. Fuck off with that crush shit."

Holding up his hands in the universal surrender motion, Edward nodded placatingly. "Okay, I believe you. Alright. Rosalie _is_ beautiful."

"Rosalie is wonderful," Bella muttered thoughtfully as the two stared across the parking lot at the Cullen coven. Edward hummed curiously and Bella shrugged. "She is... full of wonder. Thus, wonderful. Super pretty, too, don't get me wrong. Like I said, if she turned around and told me her name was Aphrodite, I wouldn't think twice about it."

With a new perspective, Edward looked down at his friend. "You should tell her that sometime. I think she would appreciate it."

"I think she would rip my tongue out of my skull," Bella disagreed with a laugh. "Besides, all my wooing energy goes towards my pixie. It's her heart I wish to win, not anyone else's." Her brows furrowed. "Speaking of which, I do not see my girlfriend anywhere."

"I was just waiting for the sonnet you were about to start reciting for my dear sister," a tinkling voice purred in her ear. A shiver rolled down Bella's spine, the only thing keeping her from turning around was feeling the vampire press into her back. Chilly lips brushed her ear. "I'm torn between my jealousy and endearment, Bella. Don't tell me I have to compete for your affection."

"Never," Bella said breathlessly. Cool petals pressed against her cheek, down to her jaw.

The purr in Alice's chest degraded to the barest hint of a growl, her arms snaking around Bella's waist. "Are you sure?" she asked against Bella's neck, honey-gold eyes locked onto her sister's back across the lot. "I would challenge the world to win your grace, if only you asked."

"Unnece _ssary!"_ the younger girl squeaked when lips ran the length of her neck. "Super chivalrous, wildly appreciated, but not necessary, I assure you." Bella spun in those arms, finding Alice's eyes. "I'm your-mmf!"

Silver sneakers slipping against the icy pavement, the two went careening back into the side of the volvo. Bella eagerly and happily drowned in everything that was Alice, from the fruity taste of her mouth, to the feel of her strong slim waist under her palms, and the sound of the purr in her chest. The pixie pulled back enough to look at Bella with ever darkening eyes, nipping playfully at warm lips. "You're mine, my sweet Bella."

"Does it set feminism back if I submit to another girl?" Bella asked breathlessly, only to be delightfully assaulted by her girlfriend's lips once again. "Or is it -mmm- like double the -oomph- femini-mmm."

The vampire's chest shook with a throaty chuckle and she rubbed her nose against Bella's. "Bella, I adore you-"

"That's sweet."

"-but if you keep talking through my kiss, I'm going to strangle you."

"Less sweet."

Alice full out laughed this time, her entire face alight with happiness. She pulled back enough to let Bella breathe, let her head clear up, and chastely pecked her lips a final time. "You make me happy."

"God, I already had one mushy talk tonight," Bella pouted. Alice scooped up her hand and the two started back towards the gym, finding that the others already entered without them. "Don't make me suffer through another one."

Twirling through the doorway as they were hit with a wall of music, Alice grinned back at her girlfriend. "I would not dream of it. How do you like my dress?"

"Stunning," Bella murmured as she sidled back up close. Forks High may not have had a large student population, but cramming them all together in one room was kind of overkill. Even as big as the gym was. She pinched the fabric of Alice's dress between her fingers, frowning at the sparkles left on her skin. "It's perfectly you and perfectly cute, my heart wants to throw up smaller hearts and rainbows. I'm just glad there are no bows, all the windows in here are _really_ high up."

A mischievous twinkle in her eye, Alice leaned up to Bella's ear. "Well, no bows on the dress, at least. I can't promise there aren't any underneath."

Too busy laughing, the pixie wasn't fast enough to catch Bella, and lost track of her in the sea of students. Bella jumped back up to her feet, dusting herself off, and smiled sheepishly at nearby students who gave her a weird look. "I'm okay!" she announced to no one in particular. "My girlfriend is a devious pixie, but I am A-Okay. Not that any of you are listening to me. So I'm just talking to myself. Great. I'm that person. Annnnd I can't stop." Finally, she clamped her jaw shut.

A hand brushed against her back and she turned eagerly, a frown marring her face as she looked into Eric's spectacles. He grinned up at her, face pinched in happiness, eyes a little glassy. Bella leaned forward to sniff him and, sure enough, she could smell the alcohol. "Izzzzzabellaaaaa," he sang, tightening his hand on her waist. "Wazzup?"

"Did someone spike the bowl or did you bring your own?" she asked in way of greeting, pulling his hand off of her.

Eric pouted, the look not nearly as cute as when Alice did it. In fact, it was on the obnoxious side, and Bella's hand clenched into a fist. _We need a better reason to punch him_ , she told herself. "I brought mee own, arrr! Hey! You and I should go see that new Pirates movie coming out soon. Whaddaya say?"

Again, the sweaty little hand was on her waist and she forcefully yanked it off this time, steadying the boy before he toppled over. "I think you need to go out and get some fresh air if you're this wasted so early into the night."

"You know what I think?" he asked with a wiggle of his eyebrows. Eric slid up close, wrapping his whole arm around her waist tightly. "I think you should chill out, Isabella. We get it, you're gay. You don't have to cringe at every male touch, it's kind of offensive and bitchy."

The snarl in her throat was painfully swallowed down, her lips in a tight smile. Patience was a virtue, patience was a virtue. "It's not every male touch," she said slowly and wrapped her hand around his. He smiled brightly up at her. "It's every touch. Period. I don't like being touched. That doesn't make me offensive, it doesn't make me bitchy." With minimum effort, she squeezed and he gasped, falling to his knees. "Does it make _you_ bitchy that you very much want me to stop touching your hand right now? Or, more accurately, squeezing your hand?"

"N... god, Bella, no. P-please let go!" he wheezed out, furiously trying to tug his hand back. "Please!"

Considering this, Bella tilted her head and stared down at him apathetically. Something in her gut churned, demanded to squeeze even harder, while another quieter voice (sounding much like Charlie and Renee) requested that she let go completely. Release him from such pain. Both sides warred within her and she squinted down at him. "I don't know," she sighed out casually. "Have I gotten my point across to you? Will you think twice before disregarding someone's consent?"

" _ **Yes!"**_ Eric gasped out, nodding vigorously. "Yes, yes, I swear to God, on my life, I will, Bella. You have my word, you have everything that I am, I will never touch another soul without their permission, as long as I live. Please, please, _please_ let go."

With a shrug, she let go. "Okay," she said simply. She watched him stagger up to his feet and run through the crowd towards the doors, mindful that he not bump anyone. "I think that may have been a bad thing that I did," she muttered to herself in disappointment. Charlie would not have approved.

"Some people deserve bad things. We cannot be blamed for carrying out justice or karma."

Bella whirled around quickly, recognizing that voice, it having been directed at her only once before. The shock of red vest against his otherwise black suit and pale, pale hair drew the eye to him and no one else around them, Wensley's dark eyes staring after Eric. "I-"

"Nobody else has a _right_ to your body," he said quietly, darkly. Those eyes landed on her, hard, severe, without any trace of warmth. "Move."

The word was spat out at her with distaste and she automatically responded, stepping to the side to let him by. Her mind tried to process the things he said with the way he said them, while also questioning why he was holding a plastic cup of punch.

Off in the corner of the room, she spotted the Cullens, and watched as Wensley handed the cup to Jessica. The younger girl's face lit up and she took a sip, a grimace followed quickly after. Still, she didn't put the drink down, and Bella was impressed with Jessica's commitment to the Ball. Chuckling under her breath, Bella made her way through the sea of kids dancing around her, and approached the table. "Thanks for leaving me out there, by the way," she told the pixie who was sitting beside Jasper and whispering something in his ear.

"I had to tell Jazz about you falling!" she exclaimed seriously. "It was so funny! One second you're there, I mention bows, and - _whoop-_ you're gone again. It was like your entire body shivered and gave out. _Someone_ has a kink..."

Bella's eyes widened and she sucked in a quick breath, holding her hands up. "I do _not_ have a kink. That is... that is laughably inaccurate. Someone spilled punch on the dance floor and I'm pretty sure Jason stuck his foot out to trip me, plus there was a dog barking in the distance and I got distracted-"

"I'm sure the sun was in your eyes, as well," Emmett guffawed. "Boo's into bows!"

"You're both immature _children_ ," she deadpanned in exasperation. "I don't know how the others stand you."

Jessica bumped her hip against Bella's, smirking behind her cup. "Years, and years, and years of practice." Her eyes danced with humour and she nodded towards the table. "Also, Jasper helps."

"Jess," Alice pouted, hand over her heart. "The betrayal. I took you dress shopping."

A flash of red dress slid around the table, Victoria up and in front of Bella in moments. "Come, my little dove, while they bicker we make our getaway to the dance floor."

"But I can't dance!" Bella said weakly, her resolve already waning in that golden gaze.

Victoria flicked her curly hair over her shoulder, flashing a dangerous smile. All predator, this one, and Bella could not resist. She was quickly finding she could not resist any Cullen, actually. "I'll lead, you follow. Hurry, before Alice steals you away the rest of the night!"

"Ugh," Bella hesitated only a second before taking Victoria's hand, and was dragged back to the dance floor.

And so the rest of the night went. Victoria monopolized her for the first three songs before twirling away to Jasper and Rosalie, and was replaced by Jessica and Emmett for a more upbeat song. A little awkward and clumsy to begin with, Bella soon loosened up and got into the beat of the music. The smiles and laughter she shared with her friends far outweighed her embarrassment anyway.

A few times in the night, she saw Esme and Carlisle. Either swaying to the music themselves or steering mischievous students away from punch bowls. Bella offered a little two finger salute or grin each time she caught their eye, and was prepared for the flash of Esme's camera.

Alice, by far, liked to dance the most out of any Cullen. Each time Bella was left by her dance partner, Alice was there until another cut in. Not to mention the slow songs, as the pixie all but growled at anyone who even thought of asking Bella to dance.

Those mainly being Jessica, Edward, Victoria, and even Carlisle.

The two watched Carlisle shake his head, holding up his hands as he backed away. "I just thought I'd offer," he said with a gracious smile and inclination of his head. "Clearly I chose an inopportune moment."

"You green little monster," Bella laughed as Alice spun them away, towards the back door leading to the track outside. "Not even Carlisle? Your father?"

One of Alice's bare shoulders lifted and fell in a shrug as she struggled for nonchalance. "I can't help it, Bella. I've never felt the mate instinct before, I haven't had time to learn how to control it. They're just going to have to deal with it for a little while." She worried her red bottom lip, looking back towards the rest of the room. "I do feel badly about it, though. I should apologize."

"You still haven't told me what that means," Bella murmured quietly. The two swayed by the back door, their corner dark all except for the moonlight spilling in through the door's window. "I've been refraining from asking again since that day in the car because I have a feeling I know what it means. The others are all mates, aren't they?"

Alice nodded, though she couldn't quite bring herself to look Bella in the eye. "Yes. They claim the title of girlfriends and boyfriends for appearances. Rosalie wears her wedding ring on a necklace hidden under her shirt, while the others all keep theirs in a box until they graduate or if they don't go to school. Jessica wears her engagement ring on her other hand, with the stone turned in while in front of other people."

"They're married," Bella echoed needlessly. She glanced back at the others, all paired up, holding each other close as they danced. "Not just casually dating. What's a mate?"

With a light sigh, Alice pulled apart from Bella. She took her hand before the taller girl could object, and led her out through the door, into the moonlight. The snow crunched under Bella's sneakers and for a brief, panic filled moment she was worried about Alice's toes in her heels. Until she remembered _duh, vampire_ and relaxed again.

Alice looked up into the sky, the moonlight reflecting off her dress just as beautifully as the snow, everything sparkling like some kind of fairy tale. She turned back to Bella with a nervous smile. "I never saw this," she said suddenly, her smile widening. "It's scary and exhilarating and _new_ , Bella. I'll never be able to properly explain just how much I can appreciate that about you. It's... everything I've ever wanted. The excitement of the unknown, being able to _experience_ life, not just watch it happen."

"Happy to help," Bella laughed with a shake of her head.

Golden eyes rolled to the sky playfully. "It is scary though. I don't know how you're going to react." Her smile dimmed, only slightly, the nerves back. "And you're so... _weird_ at reacting like a regular person, so I can't even guess."

"I think we've derailed the compliment track and are steering dangerously close to mildly offensive?"

Smooth, marble lips captured Bella's in a sweet, meaningful kiss. "I love that about you. I love that you can't take anything in life seriously. I love that you can't hold back these weird, silly words. I love how you put up this gruff, prickly exterior but didn't think twice about taking Victoria's hand to dance, just because she asked you to. I love how blunt, honest, and genuine you are, how loyal you are to your friends and family."

Bella's heart hammered in her chest, throwing itself against her ribcage over and over. Her lungs sucked in sharp, jagged breaths and her eyes widened.

"I love that you wear suspenders for Esme, and pretend you haven't grown to love them too. I love that didn't give up on Jacob, even after he attacked you, because you knew he didn't mean it. I love that you waited so long for me to tell you what I am. I love that you tried to keep your promise to him even when you didn't agree with it, when you didn't want to. I love how you try your best to help anyone who asks anything of you, without hesitation or demanding anything in return. I love how patient, and kind, and thoughtful, and compassionate you are, to me especially. I love how you make me feel, and I just... I love _you_ , Bella."

Her jaw fell slack, hand raising up into the space between them. "(?)(?)(?)" There were no words to describe the noise that came out of her open mouth, as she stood there in the snow, next to her glittering pixie.

Alice took in a deep breath, her jittery hands flitting from Bella's, to her vest, and down to her own dress. "Yes, so, I just wanted to tell you that, for you to know that I love you for _you_ , not because I have to, or anything like that. Which brings us back to the mate thing." She cleared her throat, glancing away to the gym, and back. "Every vampire has a mate, which is basically like a more potent human soulmate. The one you're bound to by fate, destined to love for all of time. I'll... ahem, I'll never love anyone else, for the rest of my existence. Not the way I love you, Bella. When I said you're mine, I meant it. Not... not in an ownership kind of way, you don't belong _to_ me, you just belong _with_ me. And-and I belong with you. Bella, you haven't said anything for a good while now and I don't want to pressure you, but I can't breathe? It's weird because I don't _need_ to breathe, as a vampire, but for some reason, it feels like I'm suffocating, and I can't stop talking. This is also new. I don't like this new thing. I can't stop. You need to stop me. Seriously, I'll just keep going-"

"Alice," Bella breathed out, her body finally relaxing. The pixie's mouth slammed shut, her eyes widening, and she looked up with rapt attention. Bella reached out to cup the side of Alice's face, running her thumb along the girl's cheekbone softly. "That was a lot of information and some of us have slow human brains, we're still trying to compute."

The vampire nodded vigorously, her face a blur for a moment. "Yes, of course."

"I got you a present," Bella said quietly. She reached into her vest pocket and pulled out the velvet box. "I, uh, don't have a lot of cash so I only got you a present. Ya know, so if I'm at your place for Christmas morning, I'm gonna feel like a dick if you're the only one opening something from me. Figured I'd give it to you now and avoid that."

Head tilting to the side, Alice placed her fingers atop the box. She stared at it for a moment before looking up at Bella, biting her lip. There was a hurt look in her eyes that squeezed Bella's heart painfully. "You don't... you don't want to comment on anything I mentioned before? No thoughts? Nothing to add to it?"

"I think the gift says everything I've got to say," Bella replied with a casual shrug.

The hurt shifted, grew until Alice looked back down and nodded. "Okay. That's – okay. Well, let's see what we have here then, shall we?" Bella opened the box, revealing the violet pendant choker. Alice's mouth formed an 'O' shape, but her eyes were glassy. If Bella looked closely, her shoulders were trembling, and she just really wanted her girlfriend to turn around already. She couldn't watch Alice struggle to not fall apart in front of her. "It's b-beautiful, Bella. Thank you, so much. Thank you."

"Want me to put it on?" Bella asked helpfully, a bright smile on her face.

Alice pressed her lips together firmly, in a tight smile as the sadness threatened to take it away. "Sure."

Waiting for the pixie to turn around, Bella gingerly pulled the pendant out of the box. She set it down on one of the picnic tables out back with them, beside the gym door, and jogged back over to Alice. Warm fingers pulled the choked around Alice's pale neck, clicking the clasp on the back closed. Bella rested her hands on Alice's shoulders. "Women used to give other women violets, back in the day. Back in your day, probably, if I think about it. To symbolize their affection and attraction to each other. Codes in flowers, can you believe that? Crafty old lesbians."

"So you're saying you're attracted to me?" Alice laughed, the sound watery and heartbreaking.

Bella huffed, a pout on her lips. She pressed a kiss to the back of Alice's neck and stood back. "That's what the first half of your gift is saying. The second half is saying something different. Something with more meaning."

"And what's the second..." Alice's words died out when she turned around, gaze snapping from Bella's glasses, that were up in her hair, to her eyes. Her _eyes_ , that Alice could see. Bare and there for her and her alone. Beautiful chocolate eyes staring back at her nervously, holding so much depth and emotion Alice wished she had the ability to cry because she knew she would be _weeping_.

Weeping for the pain shining through towards her from deep, deep within that gaze. The haunted edges battling against bright, soft hope in the middle. A mischievous twinkle that rivalled her own, one she _knew_ deep in her bones morphed into a devious, joyful look each time the girl made a snarky remark. Everything was there, so clear, so abundant, and Alice was in _awe_ of the soul staring back at her, because that's what it was...

Bella had to wear her glasses because she did not look at the world with her eyes, she experienced life through the reflection of her soul that was so clear to see in her gaze. They were windows that ignorant strangers had thrown stones through before, forcing Bella to board them up and retreat within herself for her own safety.

With a nervous bounce, Bella hopped closer to Alice. "Just wait, just uh... okay, say something. They change colour with each rise of emotion, and honestly, even the way you _blink_ sets my soul on fire." She shook her hands at her side, trying to _will_ her eyes to change colour for Alice to see. "So say something, do something, they'll change for you. I'm sure of it."

"You're beautiful," Alice whispered reverently. She reached up to cup Bella's face with both her hands, slowly shaking her own head. " _You're_ wonderful, so full of wonder, my sweet, sweet Bella."

A light gasp was pulled from Alice's lips as she watched the change. A pale pink exploded from behind Bella's pupils, swirling together with the brown like someone stirred a dye into a vat of molten chocolate, lightening up and up, until it overtook the iris completely.

Bella blinked a few times, eyebrow raised and the action was even more perfect without the glasses. "Did they change? Did they do it?"

"They did it," Alice said around her breathtaking smile.

"Well, alright then." Bella grinned, staring back down at Alice. Her chest felt fuzzy and full, thoroughly enjoying the way that their eyes were actually meeting. Not a spec of judgement or malice to be found, not that she was expecting that. (Fearing, maybe, a little. Kind of. But that had nothing to do with Alice, and everything to do with herself). She took a deep breath and looked around the track, nodded to herself. Her gaze never strayed from Alice for too long, though, and those golden eyes were eagerly awaiting her each time. "I was ready to have a heart attack, but this turned out better than I could have hoped for. Do... do you want to go back in and dance?"

Alice shot forward quickly, grabbing Bella's hands with an alarmed look. "No! No, please. Let's stay out here for just a little while longer, I want to see your eyes more. I just... you'll put those back on if we go back in."

"Yeah," Bella nodded with a little frown that melted into a smile, "but I'll take them off again back home. At... at your place, if that's cool. I don't want to wear them around you anymore, around the others either, but only because you make me feel safe enough to do it. You make me feel safe to be me, Alice."

The anxious frown on her face immediately slipped off, replaced with a beaming smile. Alice's eyes shined with happiness. "I love you. I _love_ you, and you are always safe with me, Bella. I swear it."

"I know," she replied and held out a hand. Music flowed through the crack underneath the door and Bella nodded towards it. "Care for a dance?"

Alice stepped up close, deeply breathing in Bella's scent, feeling her warmth engulfing her like a hug while the taller girl's arms circled her and pulled her even closer. "Always."

With the moon overhead, the track transformed into a glittering field of magic, Alice and Bella softly swaying to the music inside the gym. The night had turned out more perfect than either could have anticipated, either through sheer luck or because Fate was compassionate enough to give them _one_ beautiful night together before royally fucking shit up.

...

"If this were a movie, the subtitles would have said _I love you_ when I took off my glasses, just so you know. Because I do. Love you. If that wasn't clear. With all of my heart, everything that I am, known and unknown, I love you, Alice."

 **.**

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 **.**

 **Fate is _circling_ them in the water, guys. Can y'all hear the Jaws theme in the background? I can. **

**Paige**


	22. Chapter 22

**CULLEN FAMILY** : Esme and Carlisle. Rosalie and Emmett. Jasper and Victoria. Edward. Alice. Wensley and Jessica.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Twilight.

 **Rated:** T.

 **Author:** xPaige Turnerx

 **Summary:** COMPLETED AND WAITING TO POST. "Trust me, dating a vampire and having a wolf for a brother are the LEAST complicated aspects of my life. Every now and then my nose reenacts the elevator scene from The Shining, and I randomly wake up in the woods. Normal was shot to Hell a long time ago."

" _At the center of your being_

 _you have the answer;_

 _you know who you are_

 _you know what you want."_

 _-Lao Tzu_

The first time one of the other Cullens saw her eyes, it was Emmett. The large boy has his nose buried deep in a comic book and rounded the corner of the living room, drawn in by the sound of the television and Bella's heart. "What'cha guys watching?" he asked and looked up. Only to drop his magazine, hands shooting up to his eyes with a _crack!_ "Pretty sure I saw you last with them in the kitchen for lunch, I'll go check there, and I think Victoria has aviators in the mean time. They're fairly reflective!"

"Emmett!" Bella called as the giant blurred off. She leaned over the back of the couch, trying to peer down the hallway after him, and glanced at Alice beside her. "That was so cute?" she laughed, and looked back up. "Come back, Emmett, I have my glasses on the table here. I'm not wearing them on purpose."

Inching into the room, the vampire still had a hand shielding his eyes while he stared at his feet. "Why aren't you wearing them?"

"I..." Bella relaxed back into the couch. The ever comforting presence of Alice returned when the pixie snuggled into her side again, stone arms wrapping around her waist, inky spikes resting against her chest. "I don't need them under this roof."

The words were soft, warm, and murmured quietly like a secret.

Emmett lowered his hand and Bella watched as his gaze slowly climbed up to her own. Eyebrows shot up towards his hairline and he bound forward once, reminding Bella of an eager puppy. "Hi."

"Hello," she smiled softly at him.

He grinned, lopsided and charming, bending over to scoop up his magazine. His eyes never left hers and he blindly found a seat. "I feel as if I'm meeting you for the first time again."

"Just the rest of me."

Chilly lips pressed against her jaw, Alice readjusting to rest her face against Bella's neck. The brunette hummed happily, holding Alice tighter, and kept Emmett's gaze. He looked as excited as a kid on Christmas morning, and she was both eager and dreading so see him when it was _actually_ Christmas morning. "You look older without them," he said suddenly.

"I – okay." Her brows furrowed, that not being what she was expecting at all. "Thank you...?"

"Oh!" he gasped lightly and shook his head with a laugh. "Not in a bad way. I know you humans get touchy about your ages. You don't physically look older without them, just your eyes. They're just, they're very old."

Humming, Bella nodded. "Alright. I appreciate you being so cool about this," she said and shot him a finger gun and wink. "I had some major anxiety over this, but you've reacted beautifully. I just have no idea how to deal with it because there was one of two ways you could have reacted and you chose neither. So I'm gonna go back to my movie."

"Sure," he agreed helpfully. "What movie?"

"Kill Bill."

Shoulders slumping and face falling in a pout, Emmett turned to the large television screen. "Aww, what? Why didn't you call me when you started it! Bellaaaa. This is my third favourite movie. Volume one or two?"

"One," Bella replied with a pointed look towards the screen. A pointed look that Emmett could _see_ , could appreciate.

His grin widened. "Those of you lucky enough to have your lives, take them with you!"(1)

"However, leave the limbs you've lost," Bella continued with an excited bounce that jostled her disgruntled pixie. "Those belong to me now."(1)

Emmett pointed a finger back at her. "Except you, Sofie!"(1)

"You stay right where you are!"(1)

Alice watched this exchanged with fascination and mild horror, looking back to the television screen. The main character had just finished knocking around _Copperhead_ , and they were sharing a cup of coffee. True, the first few moments of the movie were gory, as she'd gotten shot in the head, but this sounded... gross. "What in the world are we watching?"

"A masterpiece!" both Emmett and Bella chimed in unison.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

The afternoon was a quiet one, there was a stillness to the house that Bella hadn't been able to appreciate in a long time. Living with Renee had been... chaotic, though usually in the best ways, and since moving to Forks, her life had somehow gotten even _weirder_. She hadn't had a moment of solitude, a _still_ afternoon in what felt like years. If she thought about it, and she had (for almost two hours now), maybe that was why she was so tired all the time. Because she was _so damn busy._

Of course, then she would have to argue that point against Carlisle and his logic. Against his daunting logic of failing bodies which, right then and there, she _grudgingly_ had to agree with. The fact that her knees gave out and she collapsed in the hallway almost two hours ago, unable to get up, could, perhaps, be seen as a point towards his case. She supposed.

Another argument that could be made was that she was a weird individual, people told her often enough, and this was just her new favourite place to relax. Right in the middle of the hall, staring up at the ceiling, wondering if that scuff was natural wear and tear, or if someone _kicked her motherfucking ceiling._ How does one go about kicking ceilings? How tall do you have to be? How high would they need to jump? How high did the average person jump?

Was it during the Great Vampiric Shirt Theft Extravaganza, and they not only stole half her wardrobe but also kicked her _fucking ceiling like the fucking assholes that they fucking were. FUCK!_

"What'cha doing on the ground, kiddo?" Charlie asked from the top of the stairs.

Bella jumped, or more accurately, twitched on the ground. She tilted her head back to look behind her at the stairs, where her father stood. He looked too amused. "I've been waiting my entire life to say this unironically, but _I've fallen and can't get up."_ She shot finger guns at him, a smirk and a wink on her face.

"Har har," Charlie grumbled sarcastically and barked out a laugh. "Get off the ground, we're going out for dinner tonight. I just gotta change outta my uniform."

Her hands slid down to her hips, still on the floor. "That sounds like a great idea, but I'm being totally honest here. I fell."

"Eh?" Brows furrowed, Charlie walked over while he took off his gun belt. He laid in on the floor beside her, picking up the little table that once held a now shattered vase. He brushed the shards of broken porcelain away from his daughter. "Wait, you're serious? You can't get up?"

Brown eyes rolled towards her bedroom behind her. "That's what I said, didn't I? I fell, laughed the appropriate amount, and then got up. Or tried to. It was quite the ordeal, felt like I weighed a thousand pounds. You know when you try to make a fist but you're so _weak_ that you can barely squeeze your hand closed?" He just stared at her. "Well, it was like that but _all over._ Soon as I kinda got up, I had a painful game of Trust Fall with the vase. Sorry."

"What... should I call someone? An ambulance or-or the doc?!" Charlie asked. His hands flitted over Bella, unsure of what to do exactly, until he settled for just grabbing her hand. "Can you feel this?"

She waited for him to squeeze before yanking her hand back. "I fell, I'm not paralyzed. You don't need to call anybody, just help me to my feet."

"I don't know..."

"I'm feeling much better," she promised earnestly. She even sat up, reaching for his shoulder. "See? Just give me a hand to my feet."

"Easy!" he barked out. Charlie wrapped one of her arms around his neck, and one of his around her waist, hauling her up to her feet. "You good? How's that feel? Do you need to sit?"

With most of her weight against her father, Bella reached out to the wall with her free hand. "Nah, I'm good. One sec. Whew, gotta tell you, that was a long two hours. We have a boring hallway, dad, but the good news is I've got some ideas." She suddenly looked at him with narrowed eyes. "First thing's first though, did you kick the ceiling?"

"The ceil-Bella, I think we should call Doctor Cullen," he huffed. "You were on the ground for two hours."

Testing the waters, Bella leaned away from Charlie until she was standing on her own. She looked back at him with wide eyes and hopped in place a little bit. "Good as new. Nothing to call about. So, dinner. Where are you thinking? And don't say Arby's, I _hate_ Arby's."

A defeated sigh heaved the man's shoulders and he scooped up his belt again. "Lemme go change. Sweep this up, and if you're still feeling good, we'll talk about dinner. Just... just don't play that stuff off, okay? If you're hurting, tell me."

"Will do," Bella agreed with a little salute. She held up her hands under his scrutiny. "I will, honest. Nothing hurts, no more than usual, at least. Go on, I'm starving. Worked up quite the appetite laying here all afternoon."

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

Perfection. That's what she had aimed for, that's where the night was headed. Perfection, because that's what Alice was to her. True, utter perfection, in every way that meant something to Bella. So she rolled up her sleeves, pulled her thinking cap on, and went about setting up the most perfect night of her life. Ideally, the most perfect night of _Alice's_ life, but Alice was _damn_ old (Bella learned the hard way never to say that aloud again) and had many, many grand nights to compete with. The undertaking was enough to give even the most patient of people an ulcer, so Bella said fuck it.

She had a feeling that Alice would love it, no matter what. The pixie was all kinds of mushy, emotional, romantic cliches that made Bella want to barf. Yet somehow, Alice made them look endearing, made Bella _want_ to put in the extra effort.

So she did. Right down to the motherfucking _candles_ lining every motherfucking _surface_ of Alice's motherfucking _room_ except for the bed that was literally covered in violet-coloured rose petals. Which, she had to admit, was hella romantic when she was lightly dragging a petal all across Alice's naked skin. Less romantic when she was honest-to-God spitting a petal out of her mouth. Little sons of bitches were choking hazards.

Still! Romantic! Perfect! The extra effort paid off, Alice had been blown away all evening, and was left _speechless_ when Bella led her up to her room. Speechless. Alice Cullen. A feat nobody in the history of the world had ever or would ever achieve again.

Things took a decidedly steamy turn from there and everything was going _swimmingly._ Absolutely swimmingly, and then Bella felt Alice freezing up beneath her touch. Again, her mind instantly jumped to Vision Mode, and she was about ready to drop-kick the future for metaphorically cock-blocking her.

But then Alice pulled the blanket back, the soft light of the candles bright against Bella's eyes that had been in the dark long enough to adjust. "What the hell was that?" Alice all but demanded.

"I..." Bella licked her lips and then again when she saw Alice's onyx eyes follow her tongue hungrily. "Wh – I thought you'd like it. I've been told I do it very well."

If anything, Alice got visibly more upset. Her jaw clenched, eyes wild and furious. Bella, chicken that she was, rested her chin on a stone stomach and put on the best Puppy Dog Face she could muster. "Yeah, you do. That's the issue. Who told you that you do it well?"

"Well, I-" brows furrowed and Bella frowned, "I don't remember her name."

Alice crossed her arms over her chest, her very naked chest that Bella struggled not to stare at. This was an important conversation they were having, she was fairly certain, because Alice was upset for some reason. Now was not the time to stare at her girlfriend's boobs. Her very, very nice boobs. "I thought I was your first girlfriend?!"

"You are!" Bella exclaimed. She leaned up onto her hands, pulling herself up the length of Alice's body until the ends of her hair tickled the sides of Alice's face. She offered the vampire a charming, sheepish grin, bold pink eyes twinkling. "Alice, minus my eyes I am a mostly attractive young woman who can be damn cute when she puts her mind to it."

A growl that both girls could feel rumbled in Alice's chest and Bella swore those eyes got even darker. Alice worked her jaw a few times, glancing away. "You're saying that you've slept with other people?"

"Other girls, yeah," Bella nodded. "Does that bother _you?"_

Another growl shook the rest of the bed this time, and Alice still wouldn't meet her eye. "...No."

"It does!" Bella laughed disbelievingly. "Listen, Pot, this Kettle didn't grumble about your past lovers."

Fiery black eyes looked back at Bella, burning her in the most euphoric ways. "That's different!" Alice hissed.

"How?"

"My past lovers didn't put their grubby paws all over you!"

"Alice..."

She sighed, shaking her head. "Whatever. I was just under the impression that, you know..."

"You were my first," Bella supplied helpfully. She watched Alice nod jerkily. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Alice murmured gently. She blinked a few times, some of that fire dying out, and reached up to cup Bella's cheeks. She pressed a soft kiss against softer lips. "It's nothing to apologize for, Bella. It's perfectly healthy and in your right to have an active sex life."

"Why are you upset then?" Bella pouted.

The pixie kissed the pout away. "I'm not." They shared a look and Alice rolled her eyes. "I'm _trying_ not to be. Vampire instincts, and all that. We're very possessive." This time it was Alice who pouted, running her hands up Bella's warm, bare back. "How many were there?"

"Oh jeez, well, I lost count after the first seven."

"Bella!" Alice gasped and laughed, all in one. She dragged her fingers up the girl's side, delighted in the squeal she received, that soft body wiggling on top of hers. "Was it seven? Really?"

"Of course not," Bella huffed playfully. Her eyes narrowed, off to the side. "I don't think, at least. There was... and then... both of them, does that count as one? There was, like, four I can remember."

Pale lips pursed tightly. "And how many times with each?"

"Are these questions you really want the answers to?" the teenager asked wearily.

"Skanks..."

A graceless snort tore from Bella's throat. "Alice," she reprimanded weakly. "There will be no slut-shaming in this bed if I'm to do what I plan to do to you."

"Is that so?" the pixie challenged. Her hooded eyes swept over Bella's face again, their lips connecting once, twice, and refusing to separate... until Alice pulled away. "No, see, now all I can think about is you in bed with seven different girls that are most certainly not me."

Forehead dropping down to a stone shoulder, Bella blew out a sigh of air between her lips. "The metaphorical blue balls you're giving me is just astounding, my love."

"We can still cuddle, but we can't – I'm going to get really upset if we keep trying to have sex tonight, Bella," Alice said softly. "I'm sorry."

"Hey, no," Bella leaned back to look down into her girlfriend's eyes again. She brushed her lips against a crinkled brow, smoothing it out. "That was my plan all along. Of course, in my head, it was _you_ who had been given the metaphorical blue balls in this situation, but we take our victories where we can get them. Cuddling in the candle light is a dream come true, so. Don't you worry about that."

She punctuated the statement by flopping onto her side, pulling Alice into her until the pixie's back was flush against her chest. "Are you sure?" Alice asked, her voice vulnerable.

Bella hummed into the back of her neck, running her nose over the silk ribbon of the choker. "Absolutely. The only one who's disappointed here, are all these little sexy candles, who were hoping to see some sexy times tonight. Sorry, little buddies, we'll have to fulfil all your little Sapphic dreams another night."

The two lay in serene silence for a few minutes. Alice enjoyed the feeling of warmth against her back, the beat of Bella's heart against her skin. Safe and secure in everything that was her girlfriend. Meanwhile, Bella squeezed as tight as she could, knowing she would never hurt the vampire, desperate to hold onto everything she ever dreamed of.

"You don't talk about yourself very much," Alice whispered into the tranquil silence.

"Hmm. I know."

She pulled one of those warm hands into her own, tracing the tips of her fingers along the lines of Bella's palm. "Why not?"

"I _don't_ know." Bella's eyes were closed, her heartbeat even. The soft light of the candles, having Alice in her arms, the unbelievably comfy bed... how was she supposed to possibly stay awake? "It makes me uncomfortable talking about myself."

Alice pressed a kiss to Bella's palm. "You can tell me anything."

"I know," Bella agreed quietly. Drifting, drifting, drifting, she almost didn't feel that feather-light touch of Alice's fingers trace along one of the lines on her wrist. Until she did. Until every nerve in Bella's arm twitched, seized, like she'd been electrocuted. In fact, her arm jerked and she had to consciously put in the effort to keep still.

 _Blood. So much blood, oh god. What was she thinking? What was she **thinking**?! The puddle on the bathroom floor grew and grew, her hands trembling, her entire body trembling. With terror? Regret? Pain?_

"Pain."

"Bella?" Alice asked, about to turn around.

Bella held her tighter. She didn't want Alice to look, Alice to see. See her, covered in blood, stuck in that bathroom again. "It hurt," she muttered darkly, quietly. Barely above a whisper. "Everything always hurt, constantly. My headaches were, at the time, the worst they'd ever been."

She could remember the pain in her wrists so vividly. Some nights she still woke up with a gasp, reaching down to grip her wrist as tight as she could. Certain they were sliced open again, that she would never, ever stop bleeding.

 _We'll never stop bleeding, can't take it back._

"I don't know," she shook her head, hiding her face against Alice's back, "if it was just the pain, maybe I could have handled it. Maybe I could have been stronger. But it wasn't just the pain, it was never just one thing, it was all of it. Everything. The pain, the other kids, not belonging. I-I was alone, Alice, I was completely alone. I didn't – I couldn't tell Renee, there was nothing she could do about it. I wouldn't drag her down with me, so I pretended it wasn't as bad as it was. That I was okay.

"I wasn't. I wasn't okay and I couldn't, I didn't know how to tell anybody. I-I couldn't explain that I was _drowning_. That my sorrow, that my depression was like drowning. Heavy, choking, dark. Nobody could see that I couldn't _breathe_ , they could only see a smile that didn't reach my eyes."

Bella chuckled sadly. "My fault for wearing shades, I guess." She sighed deeply. "I've never belonged anywhere before, not anywhere, not with anyone. It got to the point where it hurt to just look at Renee. All I could think was _'You're not hers. You were dumped on her. Those you belong to, they didn't even_ _ **want**_ _you. You were abandoned when you were a baby, still full of potential._ ' Now look at me. Grown up with a list of issues longer than The Lord Of The Rings series. I couldn't get it out of my head.

"Every time I finally did, the other kids would remind me. Relentless teasing, bullying. When they shoved me in lockers, I was _thankful_. That's all they were doing. Just locking me away, alone, leaving me to myself because the only thing worse than being alone was being with other people. People who weren't like me, who couldn't understand me, who ridiculed me. Who burned scars into my skin just because I was different from them.

"And it was all on top of skull-splitting agony," she said flatly. "Unrelenting, breathtaking pain that I could see no end to." Bella blinked, tears dripping from her cheeks to Alice's back. "I was fourteen and drowning, and the more I fought it, the more I tried, the deeper I sank. Giving up was easy."

"Why did-" Alice cleared her throat, voice raw and scratchy. Bella felt her swallow roughly. "Why did you call for Renee?"

The younger girl shrugged, sighing wistfully. She traced her own fingers over one of the lines. "It hurt. I didn't expect the sharp sting. Kind of woke me out of my sad daze." She paused for a long moment before humming thoughtfully. "I closed my eyes for a second. Just a second, I could have sworn. Now that I know I'm not... human, I guess, who knows. Could have been longer. I could have been in there for minutes. I thought it was quick, but I saw Renee. Weeping over me, clutching my body to her chest, crying and screaming and _crying_ , like she would never, ever stop. Realized what a shitty thing to do to a person that is. So I screamed."

"Bella." Alice turned in her arms, putting enough strength behind it that Bella couldn't hold her still. Couldn't stop her. She looked back at the greenest eyes she'd ever seen, greener than the heart of the forest, staring back at her with profound hurt. A soul on the precipice of shattering, and she wondered, with no small amount of sorrow, how long Bella had been standing on that edge. "I'm so sorry," she whispered, her voice cracking. Breaking.

The girl closed her eyes, crystal clear tears rolling down her face, soaking into the silk pillowcase. "You're worth fighting it, Alice," she promised. "I will never regret something as much as I regret my attempt, because I almost threw this away. And I'm so _angry_ with myself when I think back to it. I almost missed this."

"You didn't." Alice held Bella tightly to her, wiping the tears from under her eyes. "You're here now, with me. You're safe, I won't let you drown, I promise."

Nodding, Bella tucked her head under Alice's chin. She snuggled up close against her vampire, holding on desperately. "Okay." She sniffled, squeezing tighter. "If anyone asks," she coughed out a watery chuckle, "I was a stone cold bitch during this conversation. I haven't cried since I was fourteen, and I was going for a badass image."

"Isabella Swan does not cry," Alice agreed with the smallest of smiles, as sad as it was. "Not anymore."

A fresh wave of tears spilled over the edge and Bella sobbed into Alice's chest. "Exactly," she wept quietly. "God, you're perfect for me."

 **.**

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 **.**

Much like her glasses, the wristbands soon came off. Hesitant and nervous, Bella did her best to hide her wrists when the others were around, pressing her palms against her thighs, or crossing her arms. Bit by bit, though, she opened up. She became more comfortable around them. Appreciated the lack of response each time she forgot to hide them.

Damn near cried again when Jessica didn't hesitate, didn't think twice about holding her hand on their walk. Just offered Bella a reassuring, supportive smile, and told her about a play she wanted to go see in New York next month. Invited her along, and everything.

It got to the point where she had to remind herself to put them back on when she left the Cullens', not yet ready to have that conversation with Charlie, but exceptionally ready to tell the world to fuck off if anyone asked. With the Cullens backing her, she felt invulnerable. Though not everyone thought so. Speaking of which...

"I'm just saying," Carlisle said with a frustrated frown. "While I have the utmost confidence that Bella's uniqueness would kick in to save her from getting hurt, I don't think it's a wise idea to test it. Every other time it's happened has been when she was attacked or frightened. Her instincts might not be triggered during a friendly game of baseball, and she could get hurt."

Most of the family were in their positions, ready to start the game. About half agreed with Carlisle, while the other half didn't. Emmett threw his head back and groaned, large arms threatening to rip the sleeves of his baseball jersey when he tossed his hands in the air. "You're just jealous because she would be on our team!"

"I'm not jealous!" Carlisle insisted. "Have you ever asked her to toss you the remote? No offence, Bella."

The blonde turned to flash her a quick, sheepish smile. Bella stared at him with wide, disbelieving eyes. "Offence taken," she muttered with a good-natured grumble. "You can get up and get the remote yourself next time..."

A stone elbow landed on her shoulder, Victoria leaning against while she watched the other two bicker. " _Bonjour, petite colombe,"_ the redhead purred, golden eyes shining brilliantly in the dark. Even in their uniforms, the Cullens looked ethereal, something out of a dream as they stood in the snowy field, everything lit up in the moonlight. Victoria tucked her curly hair behind one ear and tugged on her baseball cap. "She could be the pitcher. On no one's team, she wouldn't have to catch the ball and risk breaking her hand, or hit the ball and risk being hit."

Still looking worried, Carlisle stared at Bella thoughtfully. "I suppose if we're all careful not to hit the ball directly back at her, that may work."

"All in favour of letting Bella play?" Victoria asked and raised her hand. Everyone but Wensley, Rosalie, and Edward raised their hands. "Settled. She plays. Go to the pitcher's mound, darling."

With a playful shove, Victoria sent Bella on her way to Alice. Black eyes stared at Edward sharply, Bella scowling at the boy as she passed him. "You're supposed to be on my side, Ed."

"I am." His shoulders were drooped, a deep frown on his broody face. "I just don't want you to get hurt, Bella. Many things could go wrong."

She turned her chin up. "And many things could go right. You can't live in fear of what may happen, what a sad and dreary life that would be." She waved him off to the side. "Now get outta the way, my beautiful little ace."

With a click of his tongue, Edward paused only to carefully boop Bella's nose, before dashing away to his position. Alice eagerly awaited her on the pitcher's mound and Bella had to force her jelly legs to keep moving. Her beautiful pixie looked particularly adorable that night; honey-gold eyes big and twinkling with happiness, inky black spikes sticking out from under her cap, lips painted a pale blue to match her team's colours.

And suddenly Bella really, _really_ wanted to smudge that lipstick... so she did. She felt Alice's smile beneath her lips, heard her happy purr. Chilly fingers brushed against her jaw, wrapped loosely around her exposed wrist, Alice leaning up into Bella. Always towards Bella. They were in each other's orbit, always gravitating back together. Connected, like neither would ever be with anyone else.

 _Perfect. She's perfect for me. We fit._

"Are we here to watch these two makeout or are we going to play ball?" Rosalie huffed from across the field. The statuesque blonde had her arms crossed, a light scowl on her face, glaring at the girls.

Emmett was swooning next to his wife, hat crumpled up in his hands under his chin. "They're in _love_ , Rosie!" he cooed.

"They can be in love another time," she remarked with an eyeroll.

Finally, Alice pulled back. She reached up to swipe her thumb across Bella's bottom lip, wiping the blue lipstick away, and tossed the baseball up in the air. "She's all yours."

"Fuckin – got it!" Bella fumbled to catch the ball, almost falling backwards when she twisted up her feet. She held it up in triumph, looking out at the others. Emmett offered an excited thumbs up and she grinned. "Okay, who's up?"

Twirling the bat around his hand, Jasper stepped up to home plate. He pointed the bat towards Bella, a challenging grin of fangs on his face. "Give me your best, Bella!"

"Yeah," Bella goaded and rolled the ball in her hands, "'bout time we took this off the checkers board. You're mine, Whitlock!"

"We shall see, won't we?"

"Damn straight!" Bella let loose the ball as quick and hard as she could. Jasper took three large steps to the side, lining up the ball, and cracked the baseball bat against it. Bella's shoulders slumped and she watched it sail over the trees of the woods, Edward hot on its heels. "Well, shit."

Thus the rest of the game went. Each batter stepped up to the plate, usually shuffling around to hit the ball, but a few times did Bella actually throw it straight to them. Not on anyone's team, it was fair each time every batter got a hit, and the other team had to chase after the ball. However, because of his speed, Edward's team was slowly but surely pulling ahead.

Point after point, Bella watched each Cullen dive for home plate. She cheered for each, jumping up and down on the pitcher's mound, as time melted away around them. She watched Emmett literally throw Edward over his shoulder and trot across home plate, his face smug while the smaller boy scowled as he was carried around. Watched Rosalie flip over Victoria's, hands on her shoulders, and shoving the redhead away before she could be tagged, to swagger over the plate.

Watched Alice feign to the right, only to twirl around left. Watched Esme dive through the snow, sliding between Wensley's legs in the blink of an eye, too quick to be caught. Watched Jessica madly dash after Carlisle, chase him from second, to third, and tackle him into the snow just before home.

During one of her breaks, being the not-quite-human who needed to rest and catch her breath, Bella watched the others mess around while they waited for her. Toss the ball back and forth, build snowmen, or just sit in the snow like her. She hugged her knees to her chest, water bottle between her feet, bronze eyes staring at her family.

Her family. She was one of them, in all but name. Finally, a place to belong. People to belong with, where she didn't feel different. Or she did, but she no longer felt... _l_ _ess_ than others. She felt equal to these kind, generous, loving people. She felt... happy. Well and truly happy.

"What are you planning?" a tinkling voice asked.

Moments later, Alice was wrapped around her. Sitting behind Bella, with her chin resting on the teenager's shoulder, arms wrapped around her waist, legs on either side of her. Without hesitance, Bella melted back into the embrace, letting her legs slide out before her, leaning back into her girlfriend's chest. "What makes you think I'm planning something?"

"I can feel it," Alice murmured in her ear. They both chuckled as Jessica stabbed her fist through the chest of Emmett's snowman, snarling like some kind of dying pterodactyl. Emmett clutched at his own chest, reaching up under his shirt, and made his hand burst out between the buttons as he collapsed back into the snow. "I can't see it, but I can feel a shift in the future. A purposeful one, surrounding this family. Like when you know someone's staring at you, when you can feel their gaze, but you don't know where it's coming from. You look entirely too thoughtful."

Bella hummed. "Well it wouldn't be much of a surprise if I told you, now would it?"

"Bellaaaaa!"

She turned her head, kissing Alice's cheek sweetly. "Don't worry about it, babe. I think you'll like it. Alright, let's finish this game! I'm ready to roll!" she hollered as she got to her feet.

The others looked up eagerly and Bella felt her grin stretch and grow, felt her insides match it.

 **.**

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– **Lines from Kill Bill. If you haven't seen it DO YOURSELF A FAVOUR AND WATCH IT.**

 **Mistorn, this is for yoooou! I assume you're going on some kind of trip? Have fun!**

 **(JAWS THEME INTENSIFIES)**

 **Get your guesses in now, folks. What is our odd little Bella? I can't decide if there's two chapters left or just one mega chapter, to tie off the first "book" here. What do you guys feel like? Lemme know!**

 **peace**

 **Paige**


	23. Chapter 23

**CULLEN FAMILY** : Esme and Carlisle. Rosalie and Emmett. Jasper and Victoria. Edward. Alice. Wensley and Jessica.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Twilight.

 **Rated:** T.

 **Author:** xPaige Turnerx

 **Summary:** COMPLETED AND WAITING TO POST. "Trust me, dating a vampire and having a wolf for a brother are the LEAST complicated aspects of my life. Every now and then my nose reenacts the elevator scene from The Shining, and I randomly wake up in the woods. Normal was shot to Hell a long time ago."

" _At the center of your being_

 _you have the answer;_

 _you know who you are_

 _you know what you want."_

 _-Lao Tzu_

Each Cullen held back their snickers, but she could see the mirth dancing in their eyes, their smiles all twitching and shifting. Her shoulders drooped and she crossed her arms over chest chest. "I just want to go on the record of saying this is a dumb idea," she told them. "And I'm pretty sure it's almost offensive."

"It is not," Emmett grumbled and held up a banana next to her face. "I think we just need more yellow. Jess, go get that yellow hat from Jasper's room."

Her friend was gone in a flash and back just as quick, a large plastic rain hat in her hands. Bella deadpanned. "Are you fucking kidding me?"

"It's the only yellow hat any of us have!" Jessica exclaimed defensively. She pulled it onto Bella's head, straightening it, and tried to stifle her coo. "Oh, you look adorable! Esme! Esme, bring your camera!"

Bella slapped away the girl's hands. "Nope, fuck that! I'm done!"

"Waaaait!" Edward whined. He blurred into her path, stopping her, and held his hands up. "Just wait, this is serious business. This is scientific experimentation at its finest, and you can't blame me for these two being bafoons."

Hands on her hips, Bella levelled the boy a glare. "Edward, I'm not a chameleon. My eyes aren't going to turn yellow no matter how much you surround me in the colour."

"It's not about being surrounded by the colour!" He paused, looking off to the side thoughtfully. "Well, it's only half about that. We're testing Carlisle's theory about the colour change being defensive. Your eyes go blue when you're mad, pink when you're... well, Alice turns them pink, brown seems to be the casual baseline, and green when you're upset. This suggests that each colour represents something. However, we've seen your eyes turn black, bronze, orange, and silver. Without any other enhancements or correlating to a certain emotion. _That_ suggests that the colours are random, and the colour change itself is defensive."

"Meaning...?"

He smoothed out nonexistent wrinkles from his shirt. "Your body is trying to adapt to your emotions, trying to defend against them. Forks is abundantly green, so it would make sense for your eyes to turn green when distressed. Blend in, hide away. Defensive. By surrounding you in a different colour, we can prove one of the theories, if they turn yellow. Just being near the colour had not made them change, so now we test Carlisle's theory by distressing you."

"Oh, _believe_ me. I'm distressed," Bella huffed.

Edward rolled his eyes. "Not truly, not in any measurable way. Your heart rate is calm, thus you are calm. That _thump, thump, thump_ gives you away each time, Bella."

"Fucking dumb heart."

"I think it's a worthy theory to test," Rosalie muttered from the corner of the room, without looking up from her book.

Bella's cheeks pinkened and she shuffled back over towards the others. She refused to watch Edward wiggle his bushy eyebrows at her and instead turned towards the entrance. "Oh, come on!" she growled at the flash of Esme's camera. "You too, Momma C?"

"Cute doesn't even begin to describe you, Bella," the motherly vampire informed her. She flicked the lip of the hat. "You look like a cute little bumble bee with those black suspenders against a yellow button up, honey. And the bow tie, _who_ got you into a yellow bowtie?"

The pout was fierce and only got more petulant when Esme placed a chaste peck on her cheek. "Edward is _very_ fast."

"You must wear that while you accompany me to the store," Esme begged. She clasped her hands together, holding them under her chin, and batted her eyelashes at the younger girl. "Please, Bella, oh please. You can leave the hat, but _please_ keep the rest on until Carlisle can see it after his shift tonight?"

Bella threw her hands up into the air. "What? All evening, in _public_? Esme, I'm wearing yellow sneakers. I _do_ look like a bumble bee, and you want me to go out like this?"

"Oh _please_ , honey. Please. I will buy you anything your heart desires at the store, I promise."

"Ugh," she groaned. God. Did every Cullen have a Ph.D in Pouting? "You're killin' me, momma," Bella grumbled under her breath. "Fine."

Everyone in the room winced at the ear-piercing _squee!_ that came from Esme. "Excellent! I'll go start the car, we're leaving in about five minutes. Edward, you get one last try to test your theory and then you have to leave the poor girl alone."

Both Edward and Bella scoffed, incredulous. Each appalled the woman did not take their side. "One more try?" Edward huffed, hands on his hips. His eyebrows shot up, a thoughtful look on his face. "Oh, that's actually a good idea. By all means, dear sister of mine."

Confused as to just who he was addressing, Bella turned to look at Jessica. The older girl shrugged her shoulders, biting the corner of her lip as her eyes glanced over Bella's shoulders.

One of which a strong, slender hand gripped tightly. Heart stuttering in her chest, Bella glanced at the hand on her shoulder, and felt her gut sink when she saw the oil marks, the scent of engines and general garage smells settling over her skin like a blanket. A cool arm was draped around her shoulders and she was tugged into a firm yet curvy side, gulping painfully. "Isabella."

 _Mother of pearl..._ Bella shivered at the husky quality Rosalie's voice took on when the vampire purred her name. "Alice is really struggling with her possessive instincts right now and she-she is gonna _kill_ you all when she hears about this," Bella tried weakly.

That chest she was pulled close to rumbled with a chuckle, low and throaty and _fucking hell, why me?_ "Lucky me, Alice is away hunting and I have you all. To. My. Self." Pale fingers were at her chin, just _barely_ touching her, but still guided her to look up at the blonde Cullen. "There you are."

With immeasurable fascination, Rosalie watched Bella's eyes flutter and shift colour rapidly; brown melting into bronze, darkening back to more of a black, and then jumping tones to an evergreen. Jaw slack, Bella stared up at the vampire with wide eyes, too nervous to even blink.

"She was right," Rosalie whispered softly. Her touch even softer, she ran her thumb underneath Bella's eye, marvelling at the gentle warmth of the teenager's skin. The deep green of her eyes began to fade... "There is something undeniably cute about you."

Aaaaand there it was. Starting as a simple ring around her pupils, the yellow began to grow. It stretched out towards the edges, like a drop of dye in a glass of water, more and more, bolder and bolder, until it overtook the green completely. A brilliant yellow was left, one that matched her shirt, her bowtie, and her shoes.

"I can see your kind heart."

Bella didn't even know she said it at first, she honestly believed it was only in her head. She couldn't help it. It was the closest she had ever been to Rosalie, staring up into that unwavering gaze; she could see everything. And what she saw had her in awe. Such awe, that her mouth was forming words as they entered her mind.

The reaction was immediate. Rosalie's eyes widened in surprise a _second_ before they narrowed into an icy glare, a silent snarl on her lips. She gave Bella a decent shove, sending the human toppling backwards over the couch, much to the shock of the rest of the room.

By the time Bella landed in a heap on the other side of the couch, Rosalie was gone. Jessica was there in the blink of an eye, helping her to her feet, while Emmett called after his wife. He waited until they made sure Bella was okay before he was gone too, chasing the blonde.

Jess brushed Bella off, taking the ridiculous hat and tossing it onto the table. "I'm so sorry, Bella," she said earnestly. "I don't know why she did that, I mean... she was _teasing_ you and everything, I thought you two were friends now."

"We are," Bella argued with a wry grin. "I still have my head, don't I?" She looked out the French doors she was certain the blonde had escaped through. "I just hope I didn't offend her too badly."

"You didn't," Edward insisted with a frown. He, too, stared out the doors, hands in his pockets. "She was startled more than anything, and Rosalie Hale does not startle easily. She just went to go gather herself. I should go catch Emmett before he disturbs her, and bring him back here. Excuse me, ladies."

They watched him go after them, much quicker than either of the previous two. Jessica sighed, wrapping her arm around Bella's shoulders, and pulled her in for an awkward one-armed hug. "Well, you were right about one thing." The younger girl looked up at her curiously. "Alice is going to murder us when she gets back."

 **.**

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This particular trip to the grocery store was more difficult than any trip before then, and it had everything to do with the teenager she dragged with her. Or, more accurately, trying to refrain from cooing at her. Decked out much like a human bumble bee; the yellow converse against black jeans, against a yellow button up, black suspenders (her _stripes,_ dear god – so cute), and her black coat. Not only did she look adorable beyond words, but the girl had taken to _scowling_ at anyone whose look lingered too long, or softened even a little. All in a bowtie. A _bowtie._

How was Esme supposed to pretend it wasn't the cutest thing she'd ever seen?

She watched on as Bella shuffled closer to the shelf, hesitantly reaching out to grab a box of cookies. She looked back at Esme, her face uncertain, and already the vampire missed seeing Bella's eyes. "Can I... can I get this one?"

"I told you, honey," Esme began gently. She reached out to take the box and placed it in the cart. "You can get anything you want, you needn't even ask. Just place it in the cart."

The girl grabbed a bag of sour candies hanging on a clip in the aisle, eyebrow raised. "Can I get this?"

"Yes, Bella."

"...This?"

" _Yes."_

Little by little, the cart filled up. Esme confidently grabbing what she knew she needed, Bella hesitantly and uncertainly dropping random items inside. And only after checking first, much to the growing frustration of Esme. "And this?"

"Anything. Anything means _anything_ , Bella. I don't want you to think twice about ever asking me for anything, okay? Put it in the cart."

They were in the meat section when Bella finally placed something in the cart without asking and Esme rolled her eyes. "Not that."

"Wha – bu – I thought you said anything!" Bella exclaimed.

With a pointed look, Esme plucked it out of the cart and put it back. "Isabella Swan, you and the Chief eat _too_ much bacon. It's not good for your cholesterol or your heart."

"Awww," Bella whined, shoulders drooping. "But I'm not even human, it shouldn't count!"

The vampire held up her hand with an Unimpressed Mom look. "You are human enough and we don't know if you can have a heart attack. That ticker is already unsteady as it is." Her head tilted to the side, thoughtful. "Probably because of the bacon."

"It's no fair!"

"Life's not fair, my sweet. Onto aisle seven!"

 **.**

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 **.**

The joy of pushing a full cart quickly turned to horror as the bill climbed higher and higher with each item Angela rung through her till. The two teenagers made awkward chitchat for the first couple of minutes while Bella stood there and Esme unloaded the cart, but it fell apart pretty quickly. In fact, the second Angela mentioned the bowtie. Wanting to spare precious, innocent Angela, Bella clamped her jaw shut and stared hard at the screen.

And now she was staring at a total quickly coming up on six hundred dollars. Six _h_ _undred_ dollars. Bella kept glancing at Esme but the woman didn't even blink at that, she simply got her sleek credit card ready, while Bella tried to not have a stroke.

Maybe she did eat too much bacon.

 _'_ **Who let the dogs out? Who? Who? Who-who?'**

Both Angela and Esme looked at Bella, who smiled sheepishly and grabbed her phone from her pocket. "Emmett thinks he's funny," she said in lieu of a reply to their silent question and turned to answer her phone. "Hey, Jake. What's up?"

" _Bella, oh fuck. Okay. Shit. Bella, I don't know what to do!"_

Esme watched on in concern, obviously hearing the conversation, and Bella nodded towards the doors. The woman glanced at Angela, and then nodded at Bella.

"Calm down. Take a breath, and tell me what's happening," Bella said slowly. She lingered between the automatic entrance and exit doors.

She could hear him take a deep breath, but let it out too quickly. " _I don't – okay. Harry is, he, I don't even... he's dead, Bella."_

"Oh shit," she breathed with wide eyes. "Wait. Who's Harry?"

" _Clearwater. Leah and Seth's dad. Sue's husband. Friends with our dads."_

Smacking her forehead, Bella sighed deeply. "Fuck. That's... that's horrible, Jake. I'm so sorry. Are you okay?"

" _What? No, yeah, well. I don't fucking know, but that's not why I'm calling! Bella!"_

"What?" she snapped. "Someone calls you up in a panic and says that somebody fucking died, you're not going to assume that's what they're panicking about? Like that's not the reason they called? Sue me."

" _Would you_ _ **listen**_ _to me?!"_

"Spit it the fuck out then!" she yelled back into the phone, free hand waving around the air wildly. A few customers and cashiers looked up at her warily. "You could have said whatever it is, like four times by now. You can't blame me for your poor communication skills, Jake."

His voice was muffled next. " _Oh my god, are you kidding me right now?"_ It came in clear again, " _Stop talking and just listen. Sam went to the Clearwater's to talk to Leah, I can only assume about pack stuff. Leah being Leah, obviously wasn't as cooperative as he'd have liked. They got in a fight, argued a lot, and Sam lost it. He Shifted, but... but Harry was there. He came to see what the yelling was about. Bella, he had a heart attack. They rushed him to the hospital but it wasn't, they were too late? He died, he just... he died. Now Leah is_ _ **enraged**_ _and she's going to kill Sam."_

"Umm... what."

" _Bella, you need to get over here. I can't talk her out of it, she said she's going to kill him. Her dad is dead and she just, she's losing her mind. But-but she said you two are connected, right? So maybe you can calm her down and keep her from starting-"_

"The Shifter Civil War, yeah," Bella muttered with wide eyes. She saw Esme approaching and headed outside to the vampire's rover, her gut churning painfully. Much as Sam was an asshole and deserved the shit-kicking of a lifetime, Bella knew starting this fight was the worst possible scenario. "Fucking hell. Okay. I have to go get the truck and then I'm on my way, just... just try to keep her from him for now. I'll be there as soon as I can."

" _Got it. I can do that, I think, but please hurry, Bells. We're at the hospital right now, but I'll text you if we move."_

"Sit tight, brother." Bella hung up her phone and looked at Esme anxiously. The woman already had the groceries in the truck, using a burst of speed when nobody was looking. "I gotta... oh jeez, I gotta go stop a war, Momma C."

Esme nodded, hands on Bella's shoulders and gripping as tight as she dared without hurting the girl. "I heard, Bella, and I understand, but _please_ be careful." Her face was full of concerned sympathy, but also a protective edge that had Bella's eyebrows inching higher. "Jacob is a good boy, as I'm sure Leah and your other friends are, but Shifters are chaotic. I know I can't change your mind, but beware the situation you're choosing to step into is _incredibly_ dangerous."

"I know," Bella nodded sadly, staring down at her phone in her hands. The lock screen picture was of her beautiful, loving pixie with her perfect smile, the home screen as many of the Cullens all smushed together as she could fit. "But he's my brother and she's my... I don't know, but we're connected. I have to help."

Pulled into a strong hug, Esme hummed softly and pressed a kiss to the top of Bella's head. "One of the many things I love about you, Bella, and I'm so proud. Now, if things get too bad, if you hit the point of no return, _call me_. We'll all come running, treaty be damned." She pulled back to smile down at Bella. "I'll drop you off at your house and truck."

"No," Bella shook her head, "if I get in your truck, I won't get back out. Besides, I need to – to move, to run or something. I have all this pent up energy now. You know my house is only two streets that way. I'll call and let you know when I've settled the matter, okay?"

The vampire nodded again, face serious. "I'll be waiting. Alice and the others should be back from their hunt now, I'll let them know what's happening and I'll keep them calm. Good luck."

"Thanks," Bella breathed. Her heart lurched in her chest, eyes drawn to the black bird perched on a branch at the edge of the parking lot. "I have a feeling I'm going to need it."

 **.**

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 **.**

After making a minor pit stop at her house for the truck and something from her room, Bella tore down the highway towards the Res like a bat out of Hell. Or she tried to. The truck really did crawl; she got it up to seventy before it started groaning at her. All the while she kept checking her phone, reading each update Jake sent her. It sounded like he'd managed to keep Leah mostly level-headed, at least while Seth was there. Preoccupied her with making sure her brother was okay, more so than revenge on Sam.

And though it felt like a kick to the chest each time, Bella ignored every phone call from Alice. There were many. But she knew, she _knew_ , the second she heard her girlfriend's voice, she would turn around. Frankly, there was very little on this Earth Bella _wouldn't_ do for Alice, but this needed to be done. She _had_ to help Jake and Leah. Which meant she _had_ to ignore Alice's call and hope Esme could keep her word.

So that's how she found them; a giant ball of anxiety, with her nerves lit aflame, stressed to the max, and already pretty pissed off. Not to mention the new layer of urgency she was suffering after Jake's latest text; to meet them at Emily's because Seth fell asleep and Leah was out for blood.

The moment she turned off the ignition, she heard something smash inside the house. Dishes, it sounded like, but could have been anything made of glass. Bella hopped out of the truck and sprinted to the door, shouldering her way through it and into the living room.

Jake was laying atop a shattered glass coffee table, in-between a trembling Sam and a deadly still Leah. Emily was off to the side of the room by Paul, Jared, and Brady. Everyone but Leah looked up at her entrance. Paul sneered towards her. "Who invited Sunshine?"

"Fuck you, Paul," Bella snapped back. She stepped closer towards her brother, freezing and holding up her hands when all the boys twitched. "Easy, relax. I'm just here for Jake."

Her brother offered a shaky smile, picking glass out of his elbow. "I'm okay, Bells."

"Good. Okay." She turned towards Leah, who still wouldn't look at her. Too busy glaring at Sam. "Murder?! Really, Leah, you jump straight to murder?"

Dark eyes snapped to her quickly, sharp and focused and full of endless rage. Bella shuffled to the side. "Why not?!" she roared, pointing an accusing finger at Sam. Everyone in the room tensed. "He killed my dad, Iz. Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill him."

"It's against the law," Bella said simply. Like that was all the reason in the world.

Jake eyed her with a half-frown. "Um, it's also abhorrent."

Brown eyes blinked behind the glasses, Bella raising her finger. "...yes, I was getting to that. It's also a morally grey area."

"The fuck?!" Jake pulled himself to his feet, giving Bella an incredulous look. "No, there's nothing grey about it, Bella. It's wrong. Period."

"Well, we're definitely gonna call it Plan B here."

"It's not even Plan Z."

The rest of the room watched them go back and forth.

A sigh heaved Bella's chest, hands on her hips. "When all other options are exhausted, it's time-"

"-to think of new options. Bella, are you serious right now?" He stepped closer, ducking to try and peer into her glasses. "Your dad is a _cop."_

"I _said_ it was against the law!"

He threw his hands into the air. "Killing is wrong!"

"Killing is a permanent solution," Bella said calmly and finally looked over to Leah again. "So you better make damn sure it's the path you want to follow. You can't unkill someone, you can't ever erase that mark it leaves on you."

The wolf cracked her neck and rolled her shoulders, hard eyes focussing back on Sam. The man started trembling again, his arms shaking, his face contorted in indignant anger. "It's worth it," Leah bit out darkly. "If it means stopping him, once and for all. I'm _sick_ of your tyranny, Sam Uley. I'm sick of you thinking you own everything and everyone on this side of the border. I'm sick of _you._ "

"You're a petulant child who doesn't understand the gifts she's been given," Sam spat out. "I'm done trying to help you, I'm done wasting my time on you. I should have had the pack deal with you long ago; you're a threat, Leah, to everyone you care about. Nothing more."

Like pouring gasoline on a flame, Bella felt her own anger spike. "Hey, fuck off, Scooby. Actually, no, you're not Scooby because Scooby fuckin rocked. You're... damn. Jake, what's the name of that baby one? In the newer cartoons, that came along and was basically a fuckin' ripoff. Networks trying to milk shit."

"Oh!" Jake snapped his fingers and pointed at her. "Scrappy-Doo."

Bella turned back to Sam. "Yeah, fuck you, Scrappy-Doo, you little piece of shit."

"This is none of your business," Sam seethed. Big, tall, and buff as hell, he looked like an angry mountain glaring down at her. "You don't even belong here. Leave, while I still allow it."

Blue eyes flashed, unseen by the room. "Take your superiority complex and pound it," she muttered under her breath. "I'm actually here trying to do you a favour. I'm trying to _stop_ her from killing you, and you're fighting me on it. The fuck, dude?"

"You're an outsider and you need to _leave_!" he roared. "Jared, take her to the border."

One of the tall boys moved around the couch, headed her way. He had to pass Leah, however, and the second he was within reach, she elbowed him in the throat. Jared collapsed to his knees with wide eyes, choking in a gasp of air. "Touch her and I end you," Leah warned.

Things devolved from there.

Paul threw himself across the room, straight for Leah, as did Sam. Torn between who to go after, Jake tackled Sam over the back of the couch, while Leah turned to take on Paul. Jared was still busy trying to breathe properly, while Brady was pulling Emily out of the house, protecting her as much as he could.

Colliding in a fit of fists and snarls, Leah and Paul crashed to the floor with a bang. Bella jumped into action when she saw Jared shakily get to his feet, looking on with wide eyes and trying to decide who to help. Bella took the decision from him, ducking under his swinging fist, and rammed her shoulder into his chest. She wrapped her arms around him and squeezed as tight as she could, pushing and pushing with all her strength.

With built up momentum, the moment she shoved him across the room, she hoisted him up. Jared went crashing back through the living room window with a yelp, shattered glass raining down on him and the snow outside.

Rough, beefy hands snapped around her shoulders painfully, nails digging into her arms. Bella sucked in a surprised gasp before she was shoved forward, and tried to brace her hands on the windowpane. "You did this," Paul snarled in her ear. He pushed her harder, down towards the jagged piece of glass in the window.

The tip of the glass dug into Bella's neck and she winced. She felt her arms shake, fingers digging into the wood of the pane so tightly she couldn't feel her fingertips anymore. "Paul, stop!"

"First you, then that other bitch," he laughed. A drop of crimson ran down the jagged edge of the glass. "I remember you, you know." His breath was at her ear, his nose in her hair, taking a deep creepy breath. "Your freakish eyes that were never the same colour. Jacob punching me because I made you cry. You gonna cry again, hm? Beg me not to take your life?"

"You want it?" Bella grunted, brain registering the pain in her neck through all the adrenaline. The deep blue of her eyes chilled to a frostier shade. "It's yours. No take-backsies."

"What the hell does that mea- _ **fuck!**_ _"_

Paul howled in pain after Bella threw her head backwards, feeling his nose crunch against the back of her skull. He staggered backwards and she turned, taking advantage of him cupping his aching face. "It comes with a lot of pain. Deal with it." With a quick jerk, she smashed the butt of Charlie's gun against the side of his head and he fell to the ground with a resounding thud.

"Bella!" Jake shrieked.

She looked up to see her brother pulling himself up by the back of the couch. His eye was swollen shut, nose streaming with blood, and a shaky hand pointing back towards Leah. Sam had her against the wall by her neck, the other hand raised threateningly as his fingernails grew sharp into claws.

Bella raised the gun, aimed down the sights, and pulled the trigger.

The bullet tore through the air with a crack. It blew a hole through Sam's hand (and the scene from Deadpool where he looked through his own gunshot wound briefly came to mind), the Shifter dropping Leah to fall to his knees. He let out an agonized wail, holding his wrist and looking at his bloody palm.

Leah kneed him in the face and yet another nose was broken, before powerfully backhanding him. He fell further onto all fours but was already trembling. Shaking with a rage that came out in snarls, the hair on his forearms growing thicker.

Until Bella stomped onto his hole-y hand. Sam whipped his head up in a threatening snarl, flashing fangs, and Bella stuck the barrel of her gun under his chin. A move that had even Sam Uley, Alpha of the Shifters, faltering. He looked up at her with wide eyes; infuriated, indignant, blazing. Bella cocked an eyebrow and nodded her

head towards Leah. "Touch _her_ and _I_ end you."

"What do you want?!" he spat out at her, his voice feral and barely human.

She put more pressure on her foot and he clenched his jaw shut. "Peace." He tried to look away, to scoff or maybe roll his eyes; a dismissal. Bella pressed the barrel harder under his jaw until he looked back again. "However, my methods of achieving this will be anything _but_ peaceful. This is a six-inch barrel of a .357 Magnum pressed into your jugular. I suggest you listen to me."

"Is that a _Colt Python_?" Jake asked as he hopped over the couch. He gave Sam a wide berth, instead checking on Leah. "Like Rick's?"

Bella glanced at her brother with a vigorous nod. "Charlie is a secret nerd! The _second_ he saw it in the show, he walked out the door to get one. Keeps it in the safe in his room." She frowned. "Doesn't have a belt for it though, and it is _heavy_. Would have pulled down my waistband if not for the suspenders."

"There can be no peace," Sam said loudly, having enough of the exchange. The others looked at him. "Not while you three remain on my land."

Leah scoffed this time. "Your land? You piece of-"

Jake grabbed her arm as she stalked forward and Bella held up her hand to her. She looked back to Sam. "But if we cross the border back into Forks?"

"I am concerned only with my people and my land," he sneered up at her. Hatred was clear to see in his sweaty face, emphasized by the blood dripping down his arm. "The leeches can drain you all dry, for all I care."

"You won't follow?" Bella pressed for clarification.

He rolled his dark eyes. "You're all already dead to me anyway. I _don't care_ what you do outside of my borders. You might as well be dead out there, and you _are_ dead if you ever step foot in La Push again."

"This is our home," Jake said softly. He looked on with wide, anxious eyes. Or _eye_ , rather, as his other was still swollen shut. Bella clenched her jaw, wrestled back her own hatred of the man who dared lay a finger on her brother. "You can't just kick us out of our home!"

Sam snarled at the two. "Stay and die, it's as simple as that. Leah drew first blood and your _pet_ here shot me."

"All your super strength and bravado don't mean shit to a magnum. Say what you will about weak little humans, but they sure as hell know how to keep up. I'm sure you wouldn't heal a bullet to the brain like the hole in your hand."

"Threaten me again and I won't _l_ _et_ you leave," Sam growled.

Both Jacob and Leah tensed, Bella shrugged. "Just thinking aloud."

"Those two have until sunrise to pack their things and tell their families," Sam said. He slapped the gun from under his chin slowly, warily watching Bella tuck it in the back of her pants again, and got to his feet. "But you need to leave now. I can't promise the rest of the pack will be as patient as I am."

Leah snarled and jerked forward again, only stopping at Bella's hand on her arm. "This isn't over! I'm not finished with you!"

"But I'm finished with you," Sam said dismissively. He ripped the sleeve off of his shirt and began to wrap it around his bloody hand. "Time's ticking away."

Bella turned to the others. She poked Leah's jaw until the wolf looked at her too. "We can figure this out later, guys. Hey! Leah, I'm serious. You need to breathe, you need to process, but more than that you need to be _alive_ for Seth. Go home, pack essentials, and tell your families that you're staying at my place. _Just_ until we figure things out, okay? It'll be okay. Stay calm, just breathe. Don't go anywhere alone. Go to Jake's first, then your place."

Her brother nodded, reaching out to pat her and Leah's shoulder. "Okay. I think... Leah, I think this is our best bet right now. She's right. We need to slow down, we need to think. Bella, what are the Pale Faces going to think about us coming over there?"

"I have to head out now," Bella said with a sour look aimed towards Sam's back. "I'll head to the Cullens' first and explain the situation. Then I'll meet you back at my house, and we'll think of something to tell Charlie. You guys have about," she looked at the cracked clock on the wall, "four hours until the sun starts coming up. I'll see you in three."

With a final nod to each other, Bella made her way back across the yard and to the truck. The engine rumbled to life and she let out the deep breath she'd been holding. As much as she wanted to sit and process everything that just happened, she knew she didn't have time.

Never mind the wolves wanting to tear her apart right then and there, she had to get back to the Cullens. They had to have been worried sick, and Bella needed to explain the situation. She didn't think the others would have any real issues with Jake and Leah crossing the border, but a heads-up would still be nice.

Bella patted down her pockets, cursing under her breath when she realized she'd lost her phone sometime during the scuffle. Jake and Leah were already gone, sprinting down the road to the Black house. Sam was still inside, probably with Emily, Jared, Brady, and Paul. There was no way she was walking away from another fight with those four, not even with the gun.

So she put the truck in reverse and decided it would be easier to buy a new phone rather than look for her old one. The drive back to Forks was a quiet one on that lonely highway, as the truck's radio didn't work anymore, but Bella appreciated the peace and quiet.

There was something calming, something comforting about silence. She could feel the tension leave her muscles, each breath easier than the last. Silence and solitude helped her recharge, and she desperately needed it after that scuffle.

Temperamental Shifters... Esme was right. They were chaotic, ruled by their emotions, with little to no order. Other than Sam's Order, apparently. Brainwashed or worse. Very nearly slaves, in the case of Jake, Quil, and Embry. Disgust burned in her stomach like acid and she scoffed. Leah was right.

Sam Uley was a problem that needed a solution sooner rather than later.

The complications, of course, being that he had grown a large pack. A large pack that was ready to kill at his first command. Any move against him, and it would start a bloody war. A war the Cullens would be caught up in if she had anything to do with it.

Innocents dragged into danger because of her, yet _again_.

Who knew if Charlie would find out. How you kept a fucking _war_ , even a small one, a secret was just beyond her comprehension. Someone dies, and then a cop goes investigating. That's just how it worked. And that was just for regular cops. Never mind the Chief of Police, who had lived his whole life in a town full to the _brim_ with supernatural, father of the daughter who was dating a vampire and linked to a Shifter and whatever the fuck Leah was.

He had to have suspected something. _Something._ He raised Bella, Bella and her changing eyes, her weird mark, and subtle oddities. He was _aware_ of The Weird, surely he picked up on vibes around this sleepy little town. Perhaps it was time Bella sat him down and had a talk, caught him up to her own page.

 _And drag him into all of this too?_ Bella sighed deeply, gripping the steering wheel tighter. She squinted through the darkness, reaching up to yank off her glasses so she could see better. _He's already involved by relation. Leaving him in the dark will only raise the risk. He deserves to have all the information to protect himself._

That was assuming he believed her, and also assuming that the Cullens were cool with him knowing about vampires, Jake and Leah cool with him knowing about Shifters and... whatever. These were secrets that were not just her own to tell, and considering how long it took the others to tell her... not something to spill lightly.

Although, surely having the Chief of Police in the know, would only be beneficial. He could quiet any questions, help bury the bodies... so to speak. Bella hoped beyond hope there would be no bodies to bury, but the vampires lived forever and this was their second time in Forks. Records would need erasing or at least burying, for the next time they lived here. Records that Charlie could get a hold of.

So busy forming plans to facilitate her father's entry into what she dubbed The Supernatural Circle of Trust, Bella didn't notice the man on the road until it was too late. Until the headlights caught a pair of ruby red eyes. Until the man slammed his fists down onto the hood of the truck. Until the rusty red beast of a vehicle was flipping up through the air and landing on the roof in the middle of the highway.

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 **HAPPY PRIDE WEEKEND, MY DUDES.**

 **I just love how Rosalie shoved Bella. Rosalie, the elegant, refined, dignified vampire of one hundred plus years... shoves Bella like some adolescent kid. That gal. She's gets me. Also, I don't know if that gun's a real gun or just a gun from the walking dead, but we're gonna pretend it's real because it is bad-fuckin-ass and I like it.**

 **Who here believes Sam will keep his word? Who here wants Paul to jump up his own ass and die? Who thinks Bella is hella raaaad, dude? How do y'all think wolves being in Forks is gonna go down? Who thinks Charlie deserves entry into the inner circle of trust?**

 **Who is _pissed_ that I broke this into two different chapters instead of one big one? But, I mean, come on. That was the PERFECT place for a cliffhanger. I couldn't resist. Like any of you could resist! **

**Anyway, yeah, this is the second last chapter. YES, there will be a sequel after this. NO, it is not already finished. I haven't even started it yet, actually. I just recently decided to continue this story. I was gonna end it... with an even bigger cliffhanger. Some of you guys are close... ish, with your guesses. Some of you have guessed things I've never even HEARD of. Things I wish I'd thought of.**

 **As always, I hope you enjoyed the chapter.**

 **peace**

 **Paige.**

 **(also just curious, I use snapchat as like my go-to communication because fuck Twitter and I figured it'd be a nice way to keep everyone updated on stories, both fanfiction and original novel alike. so... is that something y'all would be interested in?)**


	24. Chapter 24

**CULLEN FAMILY** : Esme and Carlisle. Rosalie and Emmett. Jasper and Victoria. Edward. Alice. Wensley and Jessica.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Twilight.

 **Rated:** T.

 **Author:** xPaige Turnerx

 **Summary:** COMPLETED AND WAITING TO POST. "Trust me, dating a vampire and having a wolf for a brother are the LEAST complicated aspects of my life. Every now and then my nose reenacts the elevator scene from The Shining, and I randomly wake up in the woods. Normal was shot to Hell a long time ago."

" _At the center of your being_

 _you have the answer;_

 _you know who you are_

 _you know what you want."_

 _-Lao Tzu_

Bella came to moments later. She gasped, brown eyes shooting open, and took a second for her mind to register that she was upside down. A groan seeped in pain escaped her lips and she grabbed the steering wheel, feeling the blood rushing to her head. Or maybe from her head. She watched, listened to it _drip, drip, drip_ into a small red puddle the size of a quarter, on the roof of the truck. Broken glass filled the surface, spilling out onto the wet pavement of the highway around her.

Trembling fingers pushed the button on her seatbelt and she fell on her shoulder, glass digging into her skin. "Ow!" she yelped, rolling onto her stomach. Blinking the stars from her eyes, Bella spotted the magnum just outside her shattered window and started dragging herself to it. Her skin split open in small cuts from all the glass; a battered, bloody hand gripping the handle of the gun.

Tacky gold tipped cowboy boots stepped around the car, stopping on either side of the gun in her hand. "That's not gonna hurt me," a velvety smooth voice teased. Bella recognized the vampiric perfection to it and sighed into the pavement. The man crouched down, chilly fingers brushing the top of Bella's hand, along the long barrel of the gun. "Hmm. At closer inspection, I'd wager it _will_ hurt me, a great deal. But it won't kill me. Won't stop me. Won't even slow me down. It'll just make me angry."

A hand gripped the back of her coat and Bella was dragged out of the truck, hoisted to her feet, and shoved into the underside of it. She felt the bent metal dig into her back, staring into the cold red eyes of a human drinking vampire. He was handsome, but she was starting to think there was no such thing as an ugly vampire. Dirty blonde hair pulled back in a tie, scruffy chin, sharp features. He wore no shirt, only an open leather coat, and jeans with an equally tacky belt buckle that was nearly the size of his head.

Movement caught her eye and Bella spotted two more vampires lurking nearby. One with, admittedly, hella cool dreds, and another that looked vaguely familiar. She was pretty sure he'd recently gone missing in Seattle; she saw it on the news.

"That was you in Seattle, all those killings," she said.

An excited smile pulled at the blonde's lips. "So you _do_ know about us! We had a little wager going; if you were aware you're dating a vampire, or if they were having some sort of fun with the little human. Here I thought they were just being greedy, that they didn't want to share, wouldn't let us play too." He blurred up close, painfully grabbing her chin, and jerked her face side to side so he could inspect it. "They've claimed you, haven't they?"

"Well, it's twenty-seventeen, so _no._ You can't claim people anymore, unless you're an asshole. You've claimed people, haven't you?"

Dreds cracked a smile, his white teeth a stark contrast against his beautiful dark skin. "She has bite."

"I like it," Blondie said. He gasped suddenly, mouth falling open, and wiped his hand on his pants before offering it. "Manners! So sorry, I haven't had a conversation with my meal in a _long_ time. My name is James, that is Laurent, and this is Riley. Originally, he was also just my meal, but he proved useful. Do the same, and perhaps the end of this night will turn out better than you fear."

James looked on expectantly and after a heartbeat, Bella shrugged. "Um, no?"

"Delightful," he laughed. "I know from searching your room that your name is Isabella Swan," _the fucker who kicked our ceiling,_ "and it is a pleasure to finally meet you. I've been waiting for _so long_ now, anticipating this moment. Anticipating my first taste."

His words rumbled out in a growl at the end, red eyes darkening to more of a maroon. He eyed the line of blood dripping from Bella's eyebrow, down her face, and off her jaw. With her hand that wasn't holding the gun, Bella wiped at her neck where she knew more blood was collecting. "So why aren't you ripping my throat out?" she asked. "They made it seem like a simple paper cut would be my end."

"Logically I _know_ the scent is coming from you, right in front of me," James began thoughtfully. He crossed his arms, one hand lifting to tap at his chin. "But it is _powerful_ and simply saturating the woods. My senses cannot separate you from the scent in the woods. It was clever of them to take you through there so often."

"I-" Bella blinked. "Yes... yes, that was the plan all along. I did that on purpose."

Riley hissed, his eyes blacker than the night sky. "Just kill her and be done with it already! The others could be on their way as we speak."

"Riley," James pouted. "So rude of you to mention that in front of her. There's no need to sour her last moments on earth with fear. Forgive him, Isabella. He's quite young still."

"Damn Millenials," Bella shook her head with a click of her tongue, "always in a rush."

Again, James' face lit up with glee and she heard Laurent snicker. "Yes! Oh, I do like you, Isabella!" James purred with hooded eyes. "I'll let you in on a little secret. I was recently left, my partner running off with... a cowboy, of all things," he said with disgust, looking down to his boots and buckle. Bella's heart stuttered in her chest, thoughts flashing to Victoria and Jasper. What were the chances of her being connected to _two_ cowboy vampires? When she glanced back at James, he was grinning at her maliciously. Before she could blink, he tugged her forward to _slam_ her against the truck again. Pain flared all up and down her back, in one of her shoulders. "Clever, clever little human!"

"Victoria-"

A stone hand wrapped around her mouth, Bella's jaw aching under the pressure of his grip. Red eyes danced with fury and humour. "You don't get to say her name. _Nobody_ says her name but me." He sighed wistfully, face falling. "We were together for nearly a century. I know your pathetic human mind can hardly wrap itself around the concept of such things, but try to understand loving someone for one hundred years. She was my _everything_ and she threw it away for a little _southern charm_."

"How come she didn't recognize your scent?" Bella asked after yanking her face free. She felt his nails scrape her cheeks, knew she had scratches but was mostly just thankful he hadn't ripped her jaw right off.

James lazily patted her cheek. "Interrupt me again, and I will show you your own heart, Isabella." He glanced up to Riley. "Our young lad here proved his worth, as I told you. He very nearly got away from me with his unique gift. He can change his scent, which is utterly fascinating to a Tracker like myself. It came in handy when we realized he could also change our own, confuse our enemies, hide us from other trackers. Victoria has no idea I'm here, and it's a surprise, so please keep this between us."

"I **promise** ," Bella smiled sweetly.

Dramatically, James clutched at his heart and looked towards the sky. "Alas, I should have known it was not meant to be between us. Victoria does not have the same mettle as we do, her poor stomach is weak for a vampire. Weak like those abominations she's playing House with. She would... take _her breaks_ for months at a time, sometimes years. The funny part being," he leaned close to her again with a smile, " _if_ she had a stronger stomach, she would have been with me when I stalked your girlfriend."

Bella's heart sank into her sneakers, the fear that had been building in her chest falling way to a numb anger. "Excuse me?"

"Yes!" James crooned. "It's a funny coincidence that I could not be more happy about. _Three_ of my lovely ladies in one. Victoria, my love. Mary Alice, my obsession. Isabella, my vengeance. I knew your sweet little Mary Alice when she was still a human. In fact, she is my only target that has ever gotten away. A mistake I intend to fix before leaving Washington."

Bella's hand snapped around his neck, felt his chuckle in her palm, and glared fiercely at him. "Don't you touch her!"

"I'll touch her as much as I want, she is _mine_ ," James snarled possessively. He shoved Bella into the underside of the truck again and tightened his ponytail. "If you can't keep things civil, I will be forced to end this right here and now. Is that what you want?"

The rage in her gut was battled down again, knowing that now was not her time. Not with the other two closer, just off to the left. Bella forced herself to relax, to smile, and shook her head. "Nope," she said tightly. "Forgive me. I can't seem to get a grip on my road rage." She scuffed her shoe against the pavement for emphasis.

James grinned again. "Of course, dear." He scooped down to pick up a small pipe-looking piece of metal that she assumed came from her truck... somewhere. The engine maybe, or the underside. "I believe this is yours, let me give you a hand gathering this all up." He looked around, twisting the metal around in his hands. "Would you be a pal and hold this for a minute?"

Bella rolled her eyes. "Depends. Do I have a-" Quick as lightning, his hand shot forward and he jerked the metal into her abdomen. Bella's eyes widened, hands reflexively reaching up to grab his wrist, feeling the warm blood soak their skin. " _-CHOICE! Oh, mamma!_ What did – you just – ugghng." She blinked down at the metal sticking out of her gut, their hands coated in a dark, angry red. "Yup. That's in me. That is _super_ in me. Ouch."

"Not the reaction I was expecting," James murmured. He watched on with thoughtful eyes, letting go of the metal to lift her chin with his bloody fingers. Search her face for something. "You owe me a scream, human."

She pulled in a breath that felt like it leaked right back out, picturing a balloon with a hole in it. God. Did he hit her lung? "Keep – ungh – keep dreaming, buddy. _How dare you make me bleed my own blood."(1)_

"Still no fear?" James asked curiously.

Bella leaned heavily against the truck. Felt thick, warm liquid soak through the bottom of her shirt. "I don't... don't suppose you guys catch a lot of movies on your nomadic t-travels, hm?"

"You have a smart mouth." James traced a line of her own blood down her chin.

"I know. My mom always said it'd be the death of me." Bella looked down at the metal and sighed before looking back up. "I hate it when she's right."

Riley stomped his foot, pavement cracking under his shoe. "Kill her already, James!"

"No!" the blonde snarled at him. "Not this one. I like this one, I have big plans for her." He turned back to Bella. "I don't need Victoria back if I have you, and you don't need Mary Alice if you have me. Help me exact my revenge, Isabella, and I will give you the gift of immortality."

"It's a no from me," Bella choked out. "And Simon."

Hand wrapped around the metal still sticking out, James twisted it in her gut. She had to swallow her scream of pain, face twisting up in agony. "You are surprisingly tough."

"Gah!" Bella grabbed his arm, tapping the butt of the gun against his stone shoulder. "Not... not the most sur-surprising thing about me." Her grip on his arm tightened and she glanced at the other two clumped together. _Please work. Please work._ "Hold onto your pants, jackass, 'cause I'm about to blow your friggin' mind."

James looked at her curiously, in time to see those brown human eyes blink and come back as red as his own. In the time it took him to gasp in surprise, he was being flung sideways, colliding with those other two and launched back into a tree.

 **.**

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 **.**

"Something's wrong," Alice whispered.

The other Cullens glanced up from the various things occupying themselves, to look at the pixie. The only other two people missing from the house were Rosalie and Wensley. Esme set her phone on the table, having checked for the hundredth time if Bella sent her a text. "What's wrong, honey?"

"I don't know," Alice shook her head, inky black spikes bouncing, "but something is _wrong._ I can feel it. She should have called."

Edward frowned. "Don't get yourself worked up over nothing, Alice. You will drive yourself crazy and only torture yourself until she gets back. We need to trust that she knows what she's doing."

"It's not that," Alice insisted with wide, earnest eyes. "No... no, something is wrong. Something-"

Her phone vibrated.

" _Three vampires. Bella is hurt. Border."_

Rosalie's voice was clipped, strained, and anxious before she hung up.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

" _Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, oh shit,"_ Bella chanted under her breath as she ran through the woods. One hand clutched at the pipe in her gut, the other still had a fierce hold on the gun.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

Each Cullen tore through the woods at breakneck speeds, Edward ahead of the group. Alice was in the middle with Jasper, eyes black and endless. "And you didn't think to mention that the hill Bella took you to, where she told you _she dies_ , happens to be _in. The._ _ **Border?!**_ "

"To be fair, this was before we thought that perhaps there could be something _in_ the border," Jasper replied weakly.

 **.**

 **.**

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"Don't die, don't die, don't die, don't die."

 **.**

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 **.**

The group separated. Esme and Carlisle raced through the woods towards the highway, Emmett and Edward headed to the farthest edge of their land, Jessica and Victoria heading straight on. Each of them all racing in the general direction towards the border.

Alice demanded Jasper take her to the hill.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

"I'm in the woods, I'm in the woods, I'm in the woods."

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 _White. White, silver, and red. Beautiful glass; windows, walls, sculptures. Laughing. Tears. Tears running down cheeks, over painted lips trembling with a watery smile. A white dress; flowing and elegant, classic, breathtaking. A silver dress; sharp, stunning, flowing like water down her body._

 _Sunlight catches the stained glass window, colours dancing through the yard. Across her face, her beautiful, happy face. She points at it, laughs, glances up with a knowing look. An inside joke. Wiggles her fingers in a greeting._

 _Music plays softly in the distance. Harps, chimes, a cello. Simple but strong. Her choice, her pick. Edward's composition._

 _Metal clinks against metal. Gold against gold. Band against band._

" _I do."_

 **.**

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 **.**

Bella's inhumanly fast paced running was dying out, her burst of adrenaline and speed fading quickly. She hoped James had been telling the truth and it was impossible (or at least _very_ difficult) to pick her apart from her scent in the forest. Now the only thing giving her away was her heartbeat, but the woods were full of critters and animals. She had a chance.

A chance to make it back to the Cullens, a chance to live. Oh, the irony was painful, as painful as the jagged metal sticking out of her abdomen. She finally, _finally_ , finds the desire to live, and now she's about to die. Fate was a twisted fuck, and if she wasn't so scared, she might have laughed. Instead, she tucked Charlie's gun into her belt, grabbed the nearest tree, and spun around it to press her back against the bark. She needed to catch her breath and form a plan.

Just as she turned the tree, however, a cold, stone hand wrapped around her mouth again. Her scream was muffled to nothing, and her back was pulled against someone's chest. Someone's curvy chest. A familiar curvy chest. "Shut up!" Rosalie hissed in her ear.

Relief poured out of Bella in waves and she sank back into the blonde's hold. She tried to thank Rosalie for finding her, tell her that there were three vampires chasing her, ask where Alice was and if she knew what was happening... but all she could do was cup a chilly cheek with her bloody hand.

The gold of Rosalie's eyes instantly faded to a hungry ebony. Black pits glared down at Bella and her hand was snatched away, yanked down to her side painfully. "Don't do that," Rosalie warned quietly.

"Oh shit, I'm so fuckin' sorry!" Bella gasped loudly, her other bloody hand coming up to cup Rosalie's _other_ cheek.

Disbelief and annoyance were both abundant in that beautiful face, Rosalie _slamming_ Bella's hand down to her side. "What did I literally just say?!"

"Mmmmm, dunno," Bella grinned with a shrug. She doubled over, pulling her pant-leg away from her actual leg, the fabric soaked through with her own blood. "I feel woozy."

"Bloodloss," Wensley growled as he blurred up. Bella very briefly had the urge to tell him if he took off his dark clothes, _he_ could be a chameleon. No one would ever find him against the snow; his pale skin and equally pale hair. "It's just the three vampires, like we suspected. The blonde split off from the other two, they're circling around us."

Rosalie's frowned deepened into a scowl. "We need to get her to Carlisle before she keels over. Three on two are not favourable odds."

"I believe in yooou," Bella sang under her breath. "Jess said you're badass in a fight and I believe it! Fuck. I really don't feel good, guys. I should, I need to sit down, maybe I should sit down, I think."

Strong arms caught her as her knees buckled, before she could plop down in the snow. Rosalie's anxious face swam into view, though the edges of the forest around them were starting to get fuzzy and black. "No, no! Hey. Look at me, you need to keep going. You can rest when we find Carlisle, okay? Until then, I need you to stay with me."

"But I'm _sleeepy_!" Bella whined.

The vampire ignored her protests, scooping the teenager up in her arms, and started following her brother through the trees. "Too bad," she muttered to the loopy girl. "We've put too much time and effort into you now, you don't just get to die."

"I don't wanna die," Bella replied honestly. She blinked ruby red eyes up at Rosalie, looking past to the stars in the sky. A beautiful, clear night. "I never told Renee that. I should have. She worries, I know she does. I catch her watching me, sometimes. Like she's waiting for me to pull out another razor. I hate that I did that to her. Put that fear in the back of her mind forever. She would have wanted to know I don't wanna die anymore."

Rosalie's perfect face was etched in beautiful sorrow, though she refused to look down at the girl in her arms. She focussed ahead on Wensley, ducking around and behind trees. "I will tell her," she said softly. "Should the worst come to pass. Your mother will know you fought for your life, Bella."

"Ha ha, you called me Bella."

The sympathy was gone in a flash, Rosalie's cold mask back in place. "Immature child."

Stopping abruptly, Wensley turned and gripped Rosalie's shoulders, shoving them down into a crouch beside a bush. "Fifty yards ahead, two of them. The third is close by, I know it. Bringing up the rear, probably. Damn it."

"I don't like the blonde," Rosalie growled quietly. "There's something about him, some experienced ease. The other two are younger, I can feel it. They have a list of vulnerabilities. We go through them."

Wensley's dark eyes narrowed. "Two against two, while we're weighed down by this dying mess? What if they have gifts? No, it's too dangerous. No. We need to wait for the others."

"If we wait, we risk nomads finding us first. All _three_ of them. At least we have the element of surprise on our side this way," Rosalie snapped. "We go through. That's our only viable option."

A heated look passed between them, Wensley's lip curling back in a snarl. "Or we use the most logical option at our disposal and just give them what they want. She's dying anyway, look how much blood she's lost."

"Wens-"

"She is not worth losing family!" he barked out. "This is all because of her, they're only after her! If we give her to them, they'll leave us be. They will continue through, like all the others. Look at her, Rose, she is as pale as we are, her fingers are shaking, her eyes won't focus. Listen to how faint her heartbeat is. The _least_ it will do is buy us time to find the others."

A stone hand shot out, grabbing the front of Wensley's vest, and yanked him in close. The growl in Rosalie's chest was more impressive than his snarl, and twice as threatening. "Enough, Wensley," she said quietly. "I no longer find your biting remarks and animosity towards her amusing."

"How fortuitous that I'm not looking to humour you, Rosalie," he shot back. "Unlike you, my distaste of the human is not some joke. She has not wormed her way under my skin as she has you."

Bella perked up, blinking the blackness from her vision. "Aww, is that true, Rosalie?"

"Don't look at me," Rosalie grabbed the girl's chin and turned her face away. "This is not about the moronic girl."

A pout slid onto Bella's face. "Hello, Emotional Whiplash, my old friend."

"This is about Alice. The girl who helped you pick out Jessica's ring. The one who found you, who convinced you to come back with her, and give us a chance. You _sister_ ," the blonde continued. Her eyes searched her brother's, face softening slightly. She lost the bite and let go of his vest. "How far would you go to save Alice the agony of her heart breaking?"

Black stared down black, both unwavering. Wensley frowned and straightened his vest. He looked out at the trees, where the two vampires were quickly coming up, and back to his sister. "As far as it takes." He turned to Bella who was struggling to keep her head up. "They will not touch you."

With that, he blurred off through the trees. After a heartbeat passed, Bella heard the collision; stone against stone, like a meteor hitting the earth. Snarls erupted after that, and she was lifted back into Rosalie's arms, off through the woods.

She knew his chances were not great; he'd been uncomfortable with two on two, never mind two on one. But with every wince, every backwards glance from Rosalie, Bella felt her heart crack. The worry in those black eyes was enough to drown in.

Oh, this night was not going the way she planned, not at all. Fucking Sam.

Though the sounds of their fighting faded, Bella watched Rosalie for any trace of a reaction. Any tell that she knew what was going on. And she got that tell in the form of Rosalie slamming to a halt, looking back over her shoulder in the direction they left her brother. The blonde bit her lip anxiously, eyes wild. "I... Bella... he needs help."

Rosalie looked back towards her, Bella knew that. She could _feel_ the blonde staring at her, looking for answers. Permission to go back for Wensley, maybe, or for Bella to demand she take her the rest of the way home. Of course, Bella wanted to tell her to save her brother. Wensley was an ass, but the rest of the family swore up and down that he was a good guy beneath it all.

In light of his recent self-sacrificing actions, Bella would have to agree. He hated her guts, she knew this, and yet he still fought off two other vampires so she and Rosalie could escape. Possibly risking his life, definitely getting the beating of a lifetime.

So yeah, Bella's answer was obvious and she was definitely going to tell Rosalie all of this.

However, she was a little distracted by the _wildly_ familiar hill in the middle of the little clearing they'd stopped in. Something about this place tickled the back of her brain, like a memory she couldn't quite recall. Somewhere in her mind, she knew something was playing out. A scenario that involved this place, her, Rosalie... others. She just couldn't see it, but she could _feel_ it. Like if she squinted hard enough, she would see others around her.

Before she could relay any of this, though, she was rolling through the snow and grass. Another echoing bang, vampire colliding with vampire, and Rosalie was tackled to the far side of the clearing. James was there, a malicious grin on his face; all fangs. Rosalie pushed the fallen tree off of her legs and flipped up to her feet, a snarl shaking the rest of the woods around them.

Bella, herself, flipped onto her back with a groan. Hardly any of the metal was sticking out of her gut anymore after she landed on it and she knew she had to get it out before it went right through her. She _refused_ to be a shishkabob, and with that horrific image in mind, she yanked the metal out.

"Oh fuck, okay, nope. Bad idea. Fuck. Fucking fuck." Her hands pressed against the wound, trying to keep up with the blood flowing out. "You idiot!" she shouted. _You total, utter moron. You complete baffoon. You... you..._ "Somebody get me a fucking band-aid! Rose! We pulled it out!"

The snow around her was slowly being stained red, a crimson trail left behind as she dragged herself with trembling hands towards the hill. In her peripherals, she could see Rosalie and James tossing each other around the clearing. A clash of fists and fangs, spiderweb cracks left behind after each hit. His fist shot out like a bullet, but Rosalie caught it in a vice-like grip. She wrenched it down, yanking him forward, and smashed her forehead into his face.

Rosalie Hale could headbutt like a fucking Krogan.

Bella let out a sigh when she finally reached the top of the small hill, rolling onto her back once again. Something about this felt right, felt like the good kind of déjà vu. Well. It felt as right as bleeding out in the cold night could. That would probably never feel _totally_ great, but she could admit that it could have been worse.

Not by much, but every little bit counts.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

"Alice? Alice, come on! I can hear them!" Jasper gasped. He hauled the pixie up to her feet, hand clasped tight in hers, and dragged her towards the noise.

Alice blinked until her eyes cleared, shaking her head. "I just – I saw-"

They broke through the trees and into the clearing, and if her heart was beating, it would have stopped. Rosalie, full of cracks, had just finished ripping the man's arm clean from his torso, and launched the rest of him across the clearing and into the trees. Bella, her love, her mate, her beautiful Bella, was laying in a puddle of her own blood. So much that it looked as if the hill itself was bleeding, seeping out into the snow around it.

A choked noise tore from Alice's throat and she jerked forward.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 _Well, that's not something you see every day,_ Bella thought to herself as they sky shimmered. The forest around them trembled, shifted, cracked open with a blinding light, and Bella was one hundred percent convinced she just died. She fucking _died_ , because of course she did. Of course she wasn't getting out of this alive, no. No, no! That was just too much to ask for, apparently. She fought, and fought, and _fought_ her whole life, and now she was fucking dead.

Dead.

Bullshit.

But hey, at least the pain in her head was gone. For the first time in... forever, there was no pressure. No dull throb behind her eyes, no residual trauma waiting to bloom into full-on agony. The release of painful pressure that flowed through her body was euphoric and so _soft_ , she almost fell asleep.

Or... or maybe she was on the verge of passing out.

Hard to tell, in that kind of situation.

The red of Bella's eyes faded, more and more pale, until she blinked bright blue eyes up at another pair. "Am I dead?" she asked, breaking the absolute silence that had fallen over the clearing.

The woman above her stared back in a stormy silence. Her blonde hair (so many _blondes_ tonight, hopefully this one wasn't trying to kill her too) was perfectly golden; rich and thick, gathered in three braids all pulled back and tied together save for the long bangs framing her angular face. Those blue eyes stood out not only with the intensity they held, but by the black warpaint that engulfed them, a line dragged down each cheek to her jaw. What really drew the gaze, however, what really demanded attention, was not even the weird clothes she wore; a mix of leather and cloth, but...

The enormous pair of wings on her back. Also, potentially, the impressively large looking sword on her belt, of which she rested her hand on the hilt of. But mostly the wings.

"Are you an angel?" Bella asked. She looked more like a warrior than anything, but again... big white wings.

Raising her chin, the woman's voice rang out firm with an authority Bella had never heard before. A command to it that silenced the very night around them. " _Nei."_

Brows furrowed, Bella stared up at her. "Are you Death?"

"I am the Gatekeeper."

"Of death?"

The Gatekeeper frowned, those stormy eyes on Bella again. "Of Valhalla," she declared.

"So... death?"

Shoulders fell just barely, Bella only noticed because of how close she was. "Stop saying death, I have nothing to do with death."

Bella clicked her tongue and rolled her eyes. "That's exactly something Death would say."

"I care little for _Dauða,_ and even less for being compared to him," the woman warned in a throaty voice that sent cold shivers down Bella's spine. This was one serious goose.

"What do you want from me?" Bella asked weakly. The black spots in her vision were making it increasingly difficult to look at the woman.

Blue eyes blinked apathetically down at her. " _Ekkert,"_ she said flatly. She reached down to grab Bella's chin (seriously, people needed to stop grabbing her fucking face, how fucking rude) and wrenched her head to the side. The collar of her shirt was yanked down, the mark on the side of her neck exposed (and _tingling_ almost painfully, but she wasn't sure if that was just in her head). "You should not be and yet you are, your blood seeps through the _Skiptu_. _Náð hennar_ will decide what becomes of you, back in Valhalla."

" _ **No!"**_ __Alice gasped and lurched forward. She froze, with everyone else in the clearing, when the woman dropped to one knee, a hand on Bella's shoulder, the other gripping the handle of her sword. "Please, don't. Just – just wait, please. Don't take her. Please. You can't, you can't take her."

" _Vampíru,"_ the woman scoffed darkly. "She does not belong to you."

"She _does_ ," Alice insisted miserably, her hand outstretched to her girlfriend. "She belongs _with_ me and I belong with her. You can't take her from me, I'm _begging_ you. Please."

Those blue eyes snapped back down to Bella and the teenager knew what was coming. There was no trace of compassion inside, no pity, no concern, not even mild curiosity. Only the cold night reflected back at her and she shook her head. "Hoe, don't do it."

The sky shimmered again and everyone leapt into motion. Alice and Jasper shot forward in the blink of an eye, and James raced through the trees in the opposite direction. Rosalie, being the closest, threw herself at the woman and latched onto her in the _very_ last second.

As the light died out again, Jasper and Alice collapsed to the bloody snow of the hill. Darkness seeped in around them, the woods came rushing back in, everything as it was, with one _aching_ difference...

The other three were gone.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **1 – Dodgeball, dude!**

 **Okay, so totally forget about that snapchat thing. Like literally a few hours after posting that chapter I was shown a prime example of why that would be a bad idea, and to be honest I completely forgot about internet trolls, guys. I THOUGHT WE OUTGREW THEM. WTF. So yeah, I'll put in more effort to be interactive on my tumblr. .com. If you have questions or concerns or want updates, just send me messages there. Frequently asked questions will be answered publicly to save time and effort, so keep checking there. I have a feeling y'all have some words for me because**

 **CHECK OUT THIS ENDING. Who's mad? I assume most of you. Most of you are mad, right?**

 **I just... I have big plans for this story, now. It started out as this small, basic thing, but you guys inspired me and now I have GRAND PLANS. James is connected to Victoria AND Alice. Jake and Leah are gonna stir up drama in Forks with the Cullens. Fucking Sam is gonna be a lil bish and make trouble. ROSE AND BELLA ARE IN VALHALLA (and obvs escape but HOW? Will they go back? Who else is in Valhalla? What's the deal there?). Still that creepy ass monster in the border. Bella's gotta figure out what the fuck she is, finally.**

 **All these things must be answered because I won't do you like that, my dudes. I was just gonna leave it like this originally, be the ultimate ass because this wasn't really a story, but it IS now. Y'all like it so much. So let's take this adventure together! Onto the next "book"!**

 **peace**

 **Paige (the ultimate ass)**


	25. Chapter 25

**_SPECIES unknown_**

 ** _Part II_**

 ** _xPaige Turnerx_**


	26. Chapter 26

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Twilight.

 **Rated:** T.

 **Author:** xPaige Turnerx

 **Summary:** "Trust me, dating a vampire and having a wolf for a brother are the LEAST complicated aspects of my life. Every now and then my nose reenacts the elevator scene from The Shining, and I randomly wake up in the woods. Normal was shot to Hell a long time ago."

 _Valhalla_

There were certain things Bella had missed growing up, that she never noticed. Things that, if she _had_ been paying attention, probably would have hinted at her... greater nature. Besides those headaches that truly redefined the word _agony_ , Bella never got sick. Never had a fever, never an upset stomach, she had never dipped below the solid 100% health meter.

Except for those pesky headaches, where she swung low to a frightening 20%, but those never lasted long enough to cause worry. For her, at least.

So, having never personally experienced a _hangover_ , she could only assume that this was how it felt.

Like she'd been hit by a bus... and then again, when someone threw it in reverse.

Bella groaned into the stone floor; a pitiful sound that she might have been more embarrassed about if she wasn't in such pain. She cracked open bleary eyes only to squeeze them shut again at the blinding light, her surroundings too fuzzy to make out clearly. Made only worse by the ringing in her ears.

God, is this what dying felt like?

Her first instinct was to shield her eyes but - chainlinks jingled behind her back, shackles digging into her wrists.

"... Give me a break, already," she muttered into the stone with a deep sigh.

It was tempting, the idea of just laying there on her side for... maybe the rest of her life? Really tempting. But there was a voice in the back of her head, little and reasonable and all around unwanted, that kept nagging her to get up. The desire to shut it up outweighed temptation. So with a grunt, Bella rolled onto the flat of her stomach, and used her forehead to push herself up to her knees.

It might have taken one or two tries.

Or four.

She was panting by the time she finally sat back on her heels, shaking the hair out of her face, and blinking up at the ceiling. The light was still _painfully_ bright, though she was beginning to see that the room was rather dark, and she was forced to squint at everything. The ringing in her ears got louder each time her eyes skimmed the brighter spots of the room, to the point she tried her best to avoid looking at them.

The room tilted and she almost face-planted back into the floor, but managed to catch herself at the last moment and only swayed a little.

Fuck. Concussion?

It made as much sense as anything, at this point, especially considering-

 _Stone fists slammed down onto the hood of the truck. Bella jerked forward in her seat, felt the seatbelt dig into her body before the entire vehicle was airborne._

The images were fast and choppy, flashes of memories she knew were there but was having trouble hanging onto. Like trying to grab smoke. There one second and gone the next, replaced by-

 _"Would you be a pal and hold this for a minute?"_

 _The cold metal easily slid into her skin, pain blooming like a flower in spring, flowing from his hand, through her abdomen._

She leaned back to try and get a better look at her own torso, half expecting to see the twisted metal still sticking out of her like a human shish kabob. Her shirt was... ruined, to say the least. Covered in blood from the ribs down, ripped open over her wound. A wound that was too bloody to see, dark and dried. So that had to be good? She wasn't bleeding anymore, right?

With her awareness, the pain came surging back in. Centered around her abdomen, yes, but reaching everywhere. From her fingertips, down to her toes.

She swayed forward again with another groan, this one more guttural with anguish.

"Bella, you need to stay conscious."

The voice was silky smooth, a soothing balm against her many wounds. It didn't stop the ache, but it took out the sting, and quieted the ringing in her head. Enough to blink and look over, and-

"Rose!"

Bella jerked towards the vampire, the chains attached to her shackles the only thing holding her in place. If she stretched, she could _just_ skim Rosalie's personal bubble and for the first time in her life, she _desperately_ wished someone would breach hers. Rosalie, specifically, in this moment.

A source of comfort that Bella, in a million years, never would have guessed at.

Black eyes traced over her face, lingered on the dark bruising around Bella's left eye and cheekbone. The cuts and scrapes on her face, her hands, the busted lip. Bloodshot eyes that were a deep, rich brown with rings of amber, clearly dizzy.

But she was awake. Finally, she was awake.

Thought eventually caught up to Bella, after she finished trying to rip her hands off leaning towards the blonde, and settled back on her ankles again. She eyed the shackles around Rosalie's wrists that bound her hands behind her back, patiently and elegantly resting on her knees as well.

"Dude, can iron really hold _you_?" she blurted.

Rosalie's eyes narrowed very slightly, a sneer tugging her lip up, tilting her chin up. "Never," she declared with surprising weight. "If it makes our hosts feel more comfortable, however, I'm not opposed to pretending."

"Sure," Bella nodded and then blanked, "wait, what?"

Rosalie jerked her chin to the other side of the room.

It was the brighter side, so Bella had to force herself to keep looking. Clenched her jaw against the increased ringing in her head, forced her eyes to focus. Once they did, she wished she hadn't.

Two tall women stood on either side of the door against the opposite wall. Well fit and lean, their muscle looked like it was carved from stone, which could be said about their equally sharp and stoic faces. Leather straps, cloth, war paint, and silver plating - they looked like they were cosplayers. Deadly cosplayers, with very real, very _sharp_ looking spearheaded staffs.

Bella leaned sideways towards Rosalie again, looking between the two women. "Where the hell are we?"

"I was hoping you could shed some light on that."

"Me?" Bella echoed and looked at her. "I just woke up!"

"Yes, but they were after you, specifically."

Her shoulders jumped up, as did her voice. "Who are _they?!"_

"Again, something I was hoping you could tell _me_."

"Oh my god, tell me _why_ you think I magically know all the answers," Bella groaned with a roll of her eyes.

Black eyes narrowed with aggravation. "Because," she drawled darkly. "You've been warning us for weeks that they were coming for you." Bella's eyebrows furrowed. _"This is where they find me."_

"I..." Bella shook her head, her jaw slack with dread and surprise. She swallowed roughly, a new wave of dizziness washing over her. "I also said that was where I died. Am I dead?" She swooped forward again, the room spinning, and rested her forehead against the cool stone. "I'm dead. Oh god. I'm _dead_ and in Hell. Alice isn't here. Hell is real and I'm there, and it's not fair. I was a pretty decent person," she told the floor. "I never kicked puppies, I returned _every_ DVD I ever borrowed, I let Billy think _I_ broke his backup wheelchair when we all know it was Jake."

"As much as I appreciate you thinking I'm worthy of also ending up in Hell, we're both very much alive. Well. Some more than others."

Bella huffed, tilting her head against the stone enough to glare at Rosalie petulantly. "You're not in Hell with me, you're _part of Hell."_

Golden eyebrows jumped up in surprise. "Excuse me?"

"You know why," Bella snapped and Rosalie was startled by the honesty of it. That this wasn't a joke, not the girl's humorous way of coping. That she was being very serious. Bella grunted, forcing herself back up to her knees, and shuffled to the end of her chain again. A foot away from Rosalie. Just out of reach. Dark eyes drifted up and down Rosalie before defiantly locking with her gaze. "How could this be anything other than Hell?"

Rosalie shook her head, blinked and lowered her gaze. Possibly the first time in one hundred years that she backed out of a stare down first. She wasn't even entirely sure why, she just couldn't keep looking at the raw emotion in Bella's eyes. The haunted edges bleeding through. "Bella, you have a concussion and they put something on your wound-"

Bella winced at the ringing, folding in on herself in pain again. "Bring it on," she ground out through her teeth. "I lived through nineteen years of hell, you think the literal thing's gonna beat me now?"

"No, Bella-"

"I'm ready," she challenged, and shuffled back towards her corner where she woke up. The wall was just close enough to fall sideways against, leaning most of her weight on it. A good angle to glare at the women by the door. "I'm ready."

"Bella. Bella!" Rosalie called to her. But she might as well have been yelling into the void, her words bouncing off of the girl. Something was... something was wrong. Obviously. But her pupils were huge and - Rosalie glanced at Bella's bloody hands behind her back, fingers trembling.

This was more than a concussion. This was...

"What did you do to her?" Rosalie barked at the women guarding the door. "What did you _do_ to her?" she snarled, leaning up on her knees.

Two pairs of stormy blue eyes landed on her, hands tightening on the spears.

Rosalie blinked slowly, easing back down again.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 _Forks_

Chaos flooded the house around her, people yelling and running around. All of it noise, just white noise in the background to her own growing horror and despair. Every now and then she knew someone came to check on her, usually Esme and Jasper, but Jessica and Edward popped by once or twice. She couldn't exactly know for sure what they were saying to her, couldn't get her mind to focus on their words, on their voices, try as she might. A numb cloud had fallen over her body, everything felt slow and heavy. Like she was living in slow motion, and by the time she caught up to one thing, everyone had moved onto the next.

Being behind everyone else, late, unable to keep up. That was new.

She didn't like it.

So she gave up and simply sat there, at the large dining room table. Her black eyes slowly dragged across the long surface, up and up and up, until they met an equally dark, dull pair. Emmett sat motionless across the table from her, his face void of the usual joy and boyish charm. He looked very much like a man then; the saddest man to have ever lived.

A mountain of sorrow casting a shadow of loss that she could never outrun.

Her heart clenched painfully in her chest again and she dropped their gaze, back to the safety of the table. No broken heart staring back at her, reflecting her own pain for her to see.

Until it, too, cracked and splintered. A pale fist slamming down in the middle, Alice watched the wood split out away from the impact, little chips flying up into the air while the rest of the table caved in muted destruction. She blinked a few times, looking up at the culprit, and was surprised to see Esme's face contorted rage and despair. Dark eyes wet and narrowed, glaring down at what was once her table, heart-shaped lips pulled down in a fierce frown, eyebrows drawn together.

" _...taken from us...both of my daughters, and you're saying there's nothing I can...get them back then..."_

Her voice swam in and out, bits and pieces sinking through the fog in Alice's head. Enough to piece together, a puzzle of pain and regret.

Fiery red curls fell into Alice's line of vision as someone came to stand in front of her. A moment later Victoria's face was there, the young woman's hands on both of Alice's shoulders. Golden eyes were calm, gentle, and full of concern. Alice blinked apathetically.

Painted red lips moved, formed her name, she knew that. Recognized it. She'd seen it enough times over the years, had memories of the way Bella's lips moved around each syllable, how they tugged up in the corner at the end as she failed to fight off the smallest smile each time she said the pixie's name.

"Alice... Alice, can you hear me? Alice. I need you to focus now. Alice?" Eventually Victoria's voice caught up to her words, and Alice met her eyes again. The barest hint of relief reflected back at her. "Hey. There you are, _ma petit cœur brisé."_

"I swore to her that she was safe with me," Alice said quietly. Her voice was flat, dull, and a slap in the face of Victoria who flinched back. Such a stark contrast to their usual cheerful pixie. "I swore it, time and again. Now she's gone."

"Oui," Victoria murmured gently. "But I do not think this is your fault, nobody here does. Afterall, our little Bella is nothing if not unpredictable, no?"

Alice's chin fell to her chest, head hanging low with sorrow and shame. "I should have," she whispered with a broken voice. Victoria's comforting grip on her shoulders tightened. "I know I could have, even without my visions. Of course she was going to go help Jacob. Of course the nomads would strike when she was alone-"

"Of course the very forest itself was going to be ripped open, where a winged warrior would appear from blinding light, swoop in, and kidnap both Rosalie and Bella?" Victoria huffed with a humourless chuckle. She shook her head, looking up into Alice's face. "My dear sister, not even you could have predicted this. It is... beyond us, beyond our understanding."

"Then how do we get them back?!" Alice cried and flung herself into Victoria's arms.

The redhead hugged the pixie close, squeezing her tightly as her little body shook with dry sobs. Her eyes lifted, over the back of Alice's chair, to Jasper's own amber ones. He gave a nod and disappeared up to their bedroom. Victoria rubbed Alice's back, pressing a kiss to the side of her head. "Jasper will get in contact with Peter, the teleporter. If they, themselves, did not teleport, it was something very close. He is our first step in retrieving our family members."

With a sniffle, Alice slowly nodded. "Okay," she said miserably. "What do we do until then?"

"We hunt down those nomads who started this," Jessica hissed, never ending black eyes narrowed into a glare. She ran a cold, wet cloth over her mate's face as the smaller cracks were slowly beginning to heal. His prone figure lay along the length of the couch, clothes torn and every patch of skin that showed, cracked. Fresh new scars littered his body, well on his way to Jasper's level, with two distinct new lines running down through his right eye, cheek, off his jaw, and down his neck. Forever marring his beautiful face.

Edward patted Emmett's broad shoulder, jostling him with an encouraging smile. Never one to turn down a fight, he'd hoped this would spark some life back into the friendly giant. A fight, a goal, something for Emmett to hold onto. Alas, Emmett only let his shoulder be shook, face blank, black eyes staring off into space.

On the other side of the destroyed table, Carlisle had his arms crossed. His face was thoughtful, pensive, and he hummed under his breath. "If we're to track these nomads, perhaps it would be best to get Jacob and a few of the wolves to help. Quil and Embry, maybe even this Leah girl they've mentioned. I will go to Chief Swan and seek out their phone numbers."

" _Charlie!"_ Esme gasped in the same moment Alice did. The two exchanged wide eyed looks, Esme's hands coming up to cover her mouth. "Oh no." The motherly woman crumpled, catching herself on the chair as her heart cracked further. Carlisle looked on in alarm and she shook her head. "How do we tell Charlie that his little girl was taken from him?"

" _Bella was what?!"_

Everyone in the room turned towards the front foyer where two wolves stood tall.

Bloody, battered, and bruised, Jacob rolled his neck as his body prepared for another fight. Ready to tear apart anything that stood in his way of his brother. He dropped his duffel bag, stalking into the room in quick, stormy motions as he locked eyes with Esme.

Victoria stepped into his path, hand raised, mostly calm but with the glow of a fire in her eyes, ready to explode. Even the air around her issued a warning Jacob heard, his gaze snapping to her instead.

Leah's hand latched onto his shoulder, jerking him to a stop. "Not your enemies," she reminded him in a rough and scratchy voice. She looked back at the vampires, rolling her shoulder and beating down the urge to Shift. "Start from the beginning."

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 _Valhalla_

Silence is a funny thing. No literal weight behind it, but potentially heavy with tension. The kind of heavy that breaks backs. That breaks people. Especially the kind of silence that you felt in your ears, that made a room feel more empty than it was. That made _you_ feel more empty than you were.

Bella shifted her weight to her other hip, trying not to crush her fingers in the process. Her head never left the wall, her body heavy, movements sluggish, but she was awake. Still awake. She turned her head until she caught a flash of blonde from the corner of her eye, but her focus landed on the small window up high in the wall.

Immediate wonders and questions died out long ago. Now it was delayed reactions. A foggy mind trying to keep up. Screaming from the bottom of the ocean as you watch people dance on the surface.

 _We've been here before._

"How long have we been here?" she muttered, squeezing her eyes shut tightly.

There was quiet ruffling, the clinking of chainlinks against each other. "Oh, so now you're talking to me again?" Rosalie asked in a voice that was much too polite. "Am I no longer _a demon of temptation here to torture you?"_

Bella sighed and bumped her head back against the wall. "That sounds regrettably familiar."

"Sounds like whatever was in your system is nearly gone now. Some kind of opiate, by the smell of it."

"Was I-"

"High as a kite? Yes. And somehow even more insufferable than usual. Quite the feat." More rustling and Bella glanced up briefly to see she had all of Rosalie's attention. Attentive, particularly. "How do you feel?"

Licking her chapped lips, Bella winced as her tongue passed over the bruised cut. "You know when you get guck on the bottom of your shoe and you want it off, but you definitely _don't_ want to touch it? So you scrape your shoe on the sidewalk, on the grass, on the edge of a step. If it's stubborn, you might even find a twig to poke and stab at it? I'm the guck, in this scenario. That's how I feel."

"Well it hasn't been a picnic listening to your inane rambling," Rosalie scoffed. Her poise was still as perfect as Bella remembered from the first time she woke up. She tried to think of a time she ever saw the blonde slouch and her eyes widened when she realized there were _none_. Black eyes peered at her curiously. "You're quite familiar with the bible."

"My-" Bella shifted to look more fully at Rosalie, grimacing at the pain in her side. "My grandfather, Renee's father, is _super_ Catholic. Religion is literally the only thing I've ever talked about with him. I don't subscribe, but they're interesting stories."

"You don't subscribe, yet you've translated all the passages into Italian?"

"He doesn't speak a lick of English, so yeah. I don't know how to ask when the next bus is coming but I could probably Baptise your baby." She squinted up at the little window. "How long?"

Rosalie barely spared a glance to it. "That's complicated. The sky is light for twenty two hours, and dark for thirty four."

Bella's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "What the _hell_ , man. Okay. That's... okay. How many times has the sky been light?"

"Four."

"Nine days?!" Bella gasped. She squeezed her eyes shut, bouncing her head back on the stone wall again. Nine days. Nine days away from Alice. Nine days lost here, with Rosalie. Nine days the others probably searched for them.

"And you've been unconscious for seven of them," Rosalie told her. Black eyes watched Bella closely and the teenager wasn't sure what she saw in them, but there was a flash of... something. Something new, something she'd never seen from the blonde before. Concern, perhaps? "I didn't think you were going to wake up."

"Obviously you jinxed it, so thanks for that, asshole."

A smile threatened to crack Rosalie's face.

Bella sighed, long and deep, and looked around the room again. Same old, same old. Some kind of cliche gallows from a castle. Ugh. Were they actually in a castle? "Why haven't you broken free of the chains yet? Tore through this place like a tornado of blood?"

The women at the door didn't even blink, they remained ever impassive, and somehow that was more intimidating. Rosalie shook her head dismissively. "I don't know where we are, you were dying, I can hear _many_ people, and the woman who brought us here _ripped open the sky to do so."_

"So, basically, you're too lazy to do it yourself."

"Bella, I swear to God, this is _your_ fault to begin with-"

" _My_ fault? How is this _my_ fault?"

"She came for you!"

"I'm so sorry my bleeding to death inconvenienced you!"

"That was-!" Rosalie finally turned completely, whirling around to look at Bella in disbelief. "That was your fault, too! Who goes running off alone when there are vampires chasing them?"

"First of all, _rude_. Secondly, they were after me because they were after Victoria. And they were after Alice, well, because of Alice. _I_ am the innocent bystander, here."

"Excuse me?" Rosalie blinked while Bella groaned, curling in on her throbbing guts. "What did you say? Why are they after my sisters? Bella. Bella, look at me."

"Something about," she groaned louder, jaw clenching painfully while she struggled to drag air in, "about vengeance, or something. I'm bleeding again. That can't be good, right?"

"Bel-"

The door to the room swung open with a bang, one of the women staggering forward. A man sprinted in, with a small group of shorter, more petite women following. He barked out something in a language neither girl could understand, and the spears were crossed in front of Rosalie, blocking her from Bella and the others.

Chains jingled and shackles fell away from Bella's wrists. Rosalie watched in alarm as she was hoisted up into the man's arms, while the women pressed cloths against Bella's wounds. There was enough time for Rosalie to watch Bella's icy blue eyes roll into the back of her head, before the entire group was gone again.

The door swung closed with an echoing bang, the women taking up their positions again. Their brows were furrowed, this time, and Rosalie suspected that this wasn't planned. Too chaotic, too spur of the moment. They were confused, or as close to being confused as Rosalie had seen them so far.

One pair of blue eyes landed on her, calculating and mildly curious. A very humanizing trait. They dragged sideways to the woman's partner, before returning to a point across the room. Her grip on the staff tightened.

Rosalie ran her tongue against the back of her teeth, clenching her fists once, twice. She closed her eyes and focussed on her hearing, following the rushed footsteps down the hall until she latched onto Bella's erratic heartbeat.

 **.**

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 **.**

 **Yo, whaddup, fam?**

 **Been a while, been a while. Apologies and all that. I wanted to finish writing this story before I started posting it, like last time, but life gets in the way, you know? Figured now was as good a time as any, even if it's not finished yet. I write better with active feedback, anyway.**

 **Assuming y'all are still around.**

 **Hope you enjoyed the chapter, hope you're still psyched about this story, hope you're having a good monday, nerds.**

 **peace,**


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